Our friends at Ubisoft brought us in to create an interactive video which would bring fans behind the scenes leading up to E3. The concept took shape around the YouTube Annotations feature — a smart tool allowing us to patch together multiple videos the viewer sees as pathways. So, as one video ends, the viewer chooses where she goes next (ala choose-your-own-adventure-style).

The reaction to the teaser was fantastic, so we prepared to do something similar. This time from behind the scenes at E3 and under the pressure of filming, cutting, programming and uploading more than 20 videos in 18-hours.  Here’s where we landed:

I’m a huge performance car enthusiast, so when I come across a great piece of video that hits the mark, I’m quick to share on Facebook and with my circle of Car Guy friends. While watching the NBA playoffs last week, I was compelled to do just that when I saw the best, most targeted American car commercial I’d seen in years.

I immediately hop off the couch to bring up the clip through Google via YouTube or Vimeo only to find nothing. I then search for Dodge Challenger enthusiast communities and find a thread about the “supposed” R/T commercial at Challenger Talk. One member (raVenX) saw it on TV and began talking about it on May 17. He tried to describe it and recall its short script…”The new Dodge Challenger…Made by people who love cars…for people who love cars…”

As I continue through the thread, I’m starting to realize that Dodge or its agencies simply didn’t post the clip (“This is killing me!! I wanna see it!…”, says ChallengerTalk member EliteTechneek). This is confirmed when I read that, on May 19, raVenX was finally able to record the spot, then convert it for YouTube. And even after all the hassling w/ compression and codecs and such, the quality of his original post was poor at best:

At this point, I’m completely floored that a brand would spend to produce good content so targeting its core demographic and air it on national TV without also sending it to its biggest fans. I decided to follow the action at Challenger Talk and on YouTube for another few days. Sure enough, the fan boys LOVED it even as a low-res, poor quality clip. And, on May 25, weeks after it started airing on TV, someone at Dodge or its agencies finally recognized the audience and had the master file uploaded to the company YouTube channel. Here is the clean version:

While the IA team would have shot and cut this project differently, we DO appreciate the simple scripting, messaging, minimal styling and effective use of what appears to be a Phantom Camera.

NOTE TO DODGE MARKETING: Take a few moments to watch how Ford creates exclusive video for Mustang fans. Then consider the loyalty and data they gather from such campaigns. Also note for future spots that are written for your core consumer, it might be smart to give then a little more content or a early preview of new commercials. Lastly, there are plenty of great services that allow you to distribute such content online and at a much greater rate of return. If you’d like to learn more about writing, producing and marketing better video, let us know. We love cars as much as you do.

It’s Friday! And time to, once again, recognize our industry colleagues and share the branded clips that are making noise in our office and around the interwebs. This week we wanted to go beyond the viral bits to highlight how smart brands are using video to promote integrated campaigns and merchandise their successes.

Toyota has just stopped accepting entries for its incredibly successful Sponsify Your Ride Contest. The sticky pedal-maker used optimized Web video to incent participants to design and share their own race car online. The grand prize winner, decided by number of online votes, will see his/her design hit the sheet metal at the 2010 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. The campaign features video spots (see below), banners, social media and PR.

Heineken recently staged a brilliant guerilla marketing campaign through which more than 1,100 Italian men were swindled by their girlfriends, professors and bosses. PR coverage for the even was huge and Heineken registered more than five million visitors at the Website broadcasting event. What follows is a video snapshot of the campaign that is doing well on its own.

Sony PlayStation, France has just launched the Double Syndrom campaign to re-position the PS3 brand in that market with three viral teasers followed by a reveal movie. All videos can be seen on the DoubleSyndrom Facebook page and this video highlights how the pieces tied together.

We are BIG fans of Spike Jonze, so when we found out about this project, we wanted to share immediately. We also really dig the brand association with Absolut and thank the Vodka company for financing its availability on the interweb.

.

Check out the trailer below, then give yourself 30-minutes to view the film HERE — in full interactive HD. One thing to note is to ENTER BIRTH YEAR FIRST at the landing page. Seems like the site was created in the UK or something. Enjoy!

Why should you care about Viv, the first exclusively digital and interactive women’s magazine? It does have smoking hot, intelligent women. (sigh) But what really does it for us is that such publications are ushering in a disruptive shift in the way we consume typically branded material. On a more basic level, technology is starting to allow moving images/ video in areas previously only reserved for still images/ photos.

What publishers are calling dynamic design, we see as a new channel through which motion can engage, excite and incent. These videos show how animation plays with editorial in the context of this new format and how the moving image represents what Photographer Alexx Henry is calling “Living Art” or “Moving Photos”. Whatever you wish to call it, it’s only possible by mashing up the magazine with kick-ass visual creative and sexy new tech like the iPad.

Zinio, a company behind the Digital magazine movement, is betting that audio, motion and interaction will boost reader retention to 80% (reading alone tops out at only 10%). We believe Zinio is right and that animated covers and feature stories will set a new standard for engagement in a industry that desperately needed a web, social and interactive media makeover.

You need only to view this clips to see how such dynamic design (and motion!) will get film trailer-like qualities onto the Facebook Walls of enthusiasts everywhere.

Welcome to our first entry in the “This Week in Video Marketing” series. With the new IA website and blog, we now have a channel through which to recognize our industry colleagues and share the branded clips that are making noise in our office and around the interwebs.

Enjoy!

This went viral this week and with more than 2 million page views, it’s a perfect example of how to produce an extremely cost efficient measurable campaign. Enthusiasts and new fans are directed to visit BMW Motorrad on FB, become a fan and share experiences.

TBWA Toronto took one from Bill Wash’s playbook when they produced “The Catch” for Pedigree, Canada. Inspired by the talented directors at PleixShot, this piece  was shot using the Phantom Camera which, at 1000 frames per second (FPS), turns 3 seconds of action into 30 seconds of motion, elegance and cuteness. Impressive views for the dog food giant.

Sony’s new in-store campaign is a startlingly beautiful and surreal homage to their global “make.believe” brand message. It’s also a stellar integration of high-speed live-action and stunning 3D simulations. Congrats to Superfad for creating such a compelling case to use high-end motion graphics in marketing.

It’s really cool to see trailers we make viewed by large captive audiences. Our clients at Hudson are promoting Decca Sports for the Wii at the Target Center in Minneapolis. We were lucky enough to have a man on the ground to capture this in the halftime rotation.

Thanks Charlie! http://www.vimeo.com/9590837