Microsoft
What happens when Hollywood meets Microsoft to create the first ever crowd sourced interactive animated story?
Project: Interactive Animated Story
My role: Design & Concept Development
Agency: Digitas LBi
Coffee, a mysterious girl, and monsters combine for a unique user generated digital experience
Microsoft enlisted Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright and Marvel and Lucasfilm illustrator Tommy Lee Edwards (as well as Digitas LBi) to create an interactive HTML animated story called ‘The Random Adventures of Brandon Generator’
Each HTML5 Powered experience episode was laced with interactive moments to encourage the user to contribute and become part of the story
Users needed to outrun creations of their own invention, battle SVG coffee monsters and help stop Brandon from being erased. It's soundtracked by David Holmes' latest musical project, Unloved, and is narrated by The Mighty Boosh's Julian Barratt.
As Brandon's world developed so did the opportunity to explore and discover more within his flat.
From scrabble puzzles, drawing pads and dictaphones left on his desk, we created moments to leave Brandon messages, suggestions, uncover secrets from his coffee riddled mind, all using the latest HTML5 technology to full effect.
We went beyond the traditional web experience by integrating with other Microsoft services like Skype as well as lacing clues and teasers across digital advertising, TV and outdoor.
We also created a dedicated Behind the Scenes area to allow users and developers to get under the hood to showcase the digital workings, was a strategic goal of the project - helping to open up the web technology to Microsoft's target audience of tech enthusiasts.
If you build it, they will come (with a little help from Hollywood).
62.3 million Twitter reach
With most authoritative tweets from The Verge, BBC Click, Simon Pegg and Wired UK. Over 570,000 unique visitors to date. 10,300 contributions of text, images and voice messages. 308,342 YouTube views of the four episodes over the course of the campaign. 2,100,000 people interacted with the YouTube masthead (one day) delivering 50,000 visits to the site.
Silver & Bronze ware
Along the way it picked up a few awards including - Lovies Silver peoples choice - HTML 5, Design, Movie & Film Lovies Bronze peoples choice - Integrated Experience Digital Impact, Bronze awards - Best use of digital in a change or rebrand situation - Best use of online video