Until three decades ago, discovering your favorite singer’s new album involved a Walkman and a cassette tape, and gas stations became key points of music distribution in our country. Now, in the midst of the resurgence of physical formats, Repsol has recovered exhibitors and the sale of cassettes to connect with a new generation of creators and music lovers.

The company has offered the new album by the popular band Arde Bogotá, “Manufacturas del club de la gente sola”, on cassette tape through selected service stations. Thanks to an exclusivity agreement with Sony, it has made 1,000 units available to the public at the gas stations on Alberto Aguilera streets, in Madrid, and Ángel Bruna streets, in Cartagena, where the group was formed. However, fans have also been able to get the album in the recovered format through the Repsol website, for a price of 18.90 euros.

As explained by the brand, the launch aroused great interest and the tapes were sold out in a matter of hours, with queues even forming at both points of sale. A situation similar to that experienced in the month of June, precisely when Repsol launched the initiative, which is developed under the concept “Gas Station Music” and with which it seeks to strengthen its role as a cultural agent. It has been designed by the internal marketing and experiences team together with Vembo as a cultural partner and It is happening as a creative agency.

“‘Gas Station Music’ vindicates a musical movement that has not traditionally been given the importance it deserves, and in which Repsol played an important role”, explained Cristina González Bermejo, Head of B2C Marketing and Customer Obsession at Repsol, in conversation with reason.Why. “We wanted to celebrate the music that was the protagonist years ago, and continues to be, and that has inspired new artists, such as Bad Gyal, Rosalía or C Tangana”.

Camela, Repsol and gas station music

Camela, one of the greatest references of that subgenre that would be gas station music, was the group with which, precisely, Repsol started this project, taking advantage of the upcoming release of its twentieth studio album, “Titánicos”, which will be released in November. In collaboration with Warner Music, the company released the first preview of the album, the single “Tu mira”, on cassette tape and offered it at the service stations of Azuqueca de Henares (Guadalajara) and Carbajosa de la Sagrada (Salamanca).

The brand supported the launch with an advertising campaign on social networks starring Dionisio Martín Lobato and María de los Ángeles Muñoz Dueñas, members of Camela, and in which they announced their “back to the origins, where it all began…Throughout four different pieces, they announced the distribution of the song on tape and the possibility of obtaining them at gas stations.

The collaboration with Camela also included holding an exclusive showcase in one of the company’s establishments. Because, ultimately, “Gas Station Music” seeks to redefine the service station as a place that goes beyond simple refueling and seeks to be a meeting point and interaction between the brand and customers. Along these same lines, throughout the last year Repsol has offered coffee parties or created coworking areas.

“We are activating two levers that feed each other: that gas stations once again become a point where music is discovered, and that music brings people to gas stations.“, González Bermejo explains to this medium. “But ‘Gas Station Music’ is not a nostalgic initiative, we not only seek to connect with those who already listened to music on cassette. We aspire for our stations to become platforms where you can discover new songs and artists.”.

A cultural claim

Beyond the cassettes and experiences, Repsol has also taken the initiative to the digital environment through two special actions. One of them is the sponsorship of three installments of the podcast “Delirios de España”, created by the journalist and writer Juan Sanguino, in which the phenomenon of gas station music and its impact on Spanish popular culture is explored.

Another is the creation of a series of musical playlists on Spotify curated by Camela, Juan Sanguino, the DJs Oro Jondo or Senda Fatal, or the musician Pablo Martín Jones. These are lists composed mostly of some of the greatest hits of gas station music and that build a journey through the sounds and shared memories of the genre.

Furthermore, Repsol hopes to achieve the goal of “Gas Station Music” thanks to the capillarity of its network of service stations. “We want music to reach every corner of this country, also to towns and spaces that have traditionally been forgotten.”, commented the Head of B2C Marketing and Customer Obsession at Repsol, in conversation with reason.Why. “We understand this project as an exercise of responsibility, as a way to contribute to culture and return value to society.”.

The initiative, according to the brand, will continue its journey at least for the remainder of the year. Thus, in addition to the collaborations with Camela and Arde Bogotá, others will be added in the coming weeks that the Repsol team has preferred not to reveal. On the other hand, they do announce that they will also expand “Gas Station Music” in its recovery aspect of physical formats with the production and sale of Walkmans that, unlike those from decades ago, will have Bluetooth and can be connected to the car. And they assure that they will create what they call a “cultural artifact,” driven by musical experts.

All of this materializes a new model of relationship with consumers aligned with the repositioning carried out a year ago and which marked the beginning of a new brand stage under a multi-energy strategy and new visual identity. “We are combining disciplines and exploring new ways of communicating through the creation of entertainment products and services, which is something new for Repsol.“, maintains Cristina González Bermejo. “This allows us to continue building on our trajectory, and at the same time, legitimize Repsol in the current panorama”.