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Midnight Hour
Published byTapcartRead it on Tapcart
Case study · Mobile App · Gamification

Frightful Fridays.

How ATTN and Midnight Hour drove a 95% revenue surge through app-first gamification.

A month-long, app-exclusive scavenger hunt on Tapcart turned the Midnight Hour app into a weekly ritual for its most loyal fans, right before the busiest season of the year.

ClientMidnight Hour ChannelsApp, Push, Email PlatformTapcart TimingOctober, ahead of BFCM
Frightful Fridays launch email on a phone: our spooky October scavenger hunt, one item at 80% off every Friday, exclusively in the app
Total revenue, month over month
+95.4%

Across the whole business, not just the app, during the month of the hunt.

App installs
+78.7%

Month over month, ahead of Black Friday.

Daily active users
+43.6%

Month over month, as Fridays became a ritual.

App revenue
+60.5%

Month over month, from a channel that was still new.

About the brand

From niche apparel to a cultural movement.

Midnight Hour is a California-based goth and alternative apparel brand known for its dark, expressive aesthetic and community-first approach. What began as a niche label has grown into a cultural movement, powered by fans who see their style as self-expression. When it came time to expand their digital footprint, Midnight Hour saw a chance to make their mobile app more than a sales channel: the heartbeat of the brand.

The challenge01

Driving app adoption ahead of the busiest season of the year.

With the app still in its early stages, the Midnight Hour team knew that building app engagement before Black Friday and Cyber Monday would be key to maximizing its potential. They wanted customers to not only download the app, but make it part of their weekly ritual.

As a long-time Tapcart Preferred Partner, we understood the impact mobile apps have on conversion and revenue.

63%Higher conversion rate for app shoppers, on average
82%More revenue per session than mobile web

App shoppers compared to mobile web, on average.

The mission

Get customers into the app early, before peak season, to strengthen both short-term results and long-term loyalty.

The solution02

Turning app engagement into a game everyone wanted to play.

We created Frightful Fridays, a month-long, app-exclusive campaign designed to gamify shopping and spark excitement. It quickly became a ritual among the brand's most loyal followers.

  1. 10:00 AM PTThe clueA push notification drops a cryptic clue.
  2. THE HUNTFind itFans search the app for the one mystery product.
  3. THE PRIZE80% offOne item, limited quantities, redeemable only in the app.
  4. 24 HOURSGoneThe flash sale closes, and fans wait for next Friday.

Every Friday in October

To amplify the moment, we paired Tapcart's tools with a coordinated, multi-channel plan that kept fans guessing, and returning, week after week.

  • Email

    Teaser promotion

    A dedicated launch send built anticipation, and a footer on every email through October kept the hunt top of mind.

  • Push

    The weekly clue

    Push notifications delivered each Friday's clue, also featured in the emails, and the product reveal.

  • Finale

    Halloween hunt

    A Halloween scavenger hunt finale brought the whole community together for one last surprise.

The strategy03

Build community, not just campaigns.

By combining our creative structure with Tapcart's in-app merchandising and push capabilities, Midnight Hour created an interactive experience that felt authentic, exclusive, and rewarding. Fans weren't just shopping. They were participating.

In doing so, they began treating the app as their go-to destination for new drops, exclusive offers, and brand updates heading into the holiday season.

The lesson04

Creativity converts.

Beyond the numbers, the campaign changed customer behavior. The app became the center of community engagement: the place fans turned to for excitement, exclusivity, and connection.

Gamification works when it feels true to the brand. By infusing curiosity, exclusivity, and reward into every touchpoint, a seasonal moment turned into lasting loyalty. With Tapcart powering the experience and ATTN leading the creative, Midnight Hour proved the most effective mobile strategies don't just sell. They build community.

Show the audience the value of the app.

"Our goal with Frightful Fridays was to drive app downloads ahead of the busiest sales season of the year, laying the foundation for a stronger and more impactful Black Friday through VIP early access and app-exclusive perks. Midnight Hour has a strong following and loyal repeat purchasers, but with our app still being new, this strategy was about showing our audience the value of having the app and building deeper loyalty around our brand."

Miranda MattsonDirector of Lifecycle & Retention Marketing, ATTN Agency
The hunt

Play along.

A real Friday, from the push notification to the cart, and the emails that kept the community hunting all month.

Screen recording: the week two clue arrives as a push notification on the lock screen, the Midnight Hour app opens, the shopper browses to sweaters, finds the Embroidered Scorpion Sweater marked as the Frightful Fridays Find at 80% off, and adds it to the cart
Week two, in the app
  1. 01
    The push lands

    "Frightful Fridays: Week Two Clue" arrives on the lock screen.

  2. 02
    Into the app

    One tap opens the Midnight Hour app, already merchandised for the hunt.

  3. 03
    Solve the clue

    Fans browse the collections looking for the one item the clue points to.

  4. 04
    Claim the find

    The Frightful Fridays Find goes in the cart at 80% off, today only.

  • Launch teaser

    The dedicated send that kicked off the hunt and taught the rules.

    Frightful Fridays launch email: our spooky October scavenger hunt, one item at 80% off every Friday, exclusively in the app, and how to join the hunt
  • October campaign

    Every October send carried the Frightful Fridays footer, so the hunt stayed top of mind.

    Sunday Scaries lounge collection email with the Frightful Fridays footer
  • Halloween finale

    The last clue, for one enchanted item, this Halloween only.

    Happy Halloween finale email: solve the clue to find one enchanted item at 80% off, exclusively in the app
More work

More results like this.

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