Mercedes-Benz interactive films

Mercedes-Benz recently released a couple of interactive films on their website, featuring their SLK and C-Class Coupe models. Although they are sometime struggling to bridge the gap between creating engaging entertainment and communicating information about the cars, I have to say the films are cinematically quite beautiful. The C-Class Coupe film is modelled after Hollywood-style action thrillers, whereas the SLK film is a road movie featuring... you, the viewer, stuck in the desert, when a beautiful and mysterious stranger pulls up in her fancy SLK.

From a user experience point of view I'm always on a fence with interactive movies. It has to do with storytelling. A good story needs a storyteller, who skillfully guides you through the twists and turns of the narrative. Introducing user input always makes me feel I might not be getting the best experience, the best version of the story. The point-of-view style cinematography in the SLK movie on the other hand is interesting and does kind of draw you into the action, making the interaction aspect feel more natural.

Click to read more ...

The most successful brands

The most successful brands of the future will be the ones that enable people to talk about them. Note that I didn’t say “talk in a positive way”. That part you can only influence by putting out a high quality product, and having equally good customer service. Once you have those two things in place (and if you don’t, sorry, I can’t help you) the key part is to engage with your audience and help them spread the word, which they will gladly do.

Click to read more ...

The making of

The “making of” is gradually becoming a more powerful way to communicate than the shiny, polished end product. Chase Jarvis did a great job producing the latest music video for Seattle-based band The Blakes, but even more interesting is the above “making of” video.

This beautifully styled mini documentary introduces the band, Chase and his staff, and a whole bunch of other people who made this project come together. You get to hear the stories behind the concept for the video and see a glimpse of what it takes to pull off a production like this. Everything is told from an engaging first person perspective.

There will always be a place for for the high-gloss end product, but it’s this behind-the-scenes stuff that really pulls you in. It just makes you want to invite Chase and The Blakes over to chat about their new album over a cup of coffee. And it certainly makes you want to watch the video again. In fact, that’s probably what I’m going to do right now.

Marketing 2.0: dare to share

Example #1: Whenever camera manufacturers launch a new product, they create some nice sales collateral (i.e. brochures, ads, etc.) that makes you want to buy their stuff. So when Nikon introduced their new D90 model, they hired pro-photographer Chase Jarvis to shoot a cool brochure that makes you feel like all you need to do is run out and get a D90 and you'll be well on your way to become the next, well, Chase Jarvis.

Click to read more ...