Top 10 Interactive Promotions of 2007
Balind on 07 Jan 2008 | Musings
I always enjoy this time of year because of all the “best of” type countdowns about popular media. Here I present the top picks from the sites I’ve bookmarked over the past year. Feel free to email or comment with your own.
In no particular order, my criteria is simple. What are this years 10 most effective sites that have merged broadcast with the web to promote a product or event in an interactive way?
Nike continues to set standards with this classy and stylish shoe promotion. Full-screen video highlights a simple yet elegant navigation that guides the user through the various techniques and skills required to be a baller deserving of such a magnificent piece of footwear. Extremely simple but with enough visuals and content to keep a user hanging out for a while.
This site is almost a year old and it still looks as good to me now as the day I saw it. It brands the product perfectly by being both edgy and fun at the same time. The graphics mesh together so well even with simple animation and transitions, I find myself clicking on things just to see what will happen. Broadcast touches like the fire coming from the can and exhaust pipes really compliments the flat interface. Colors, textures… vibe! Love it.
The relative success of a professional athlete’s shoe sales is probably closely aligned with how well liked they are. This site does a superb job of getting to know the different sides of Carmello Anthony through navigating Nike’s usual stunning full-screen video. This site is a great example of creative graphics teaming up with creative programming.
When I look at this site now I tend to notice all the things about it that could be improved, but I still remember how much it impacted me at the time it came out. It was the first time I’d seen huge video incorporated into a Flash interface with an alpha mask. This spawned so many new ideas in myself and I’m sure many other designers. Like a movie poster come-alive, focusing on the content of the product, this site nails the appeal of the movie extremely well.
This site is a fantastic execution because it’s promoting a television series and it truly looks and feels like an interactive television commercial. It gives you a great feel for the show and allows you to explore and learn about the characters and plot. This promotion could be the best example on this list of blurring the lines between broadcast and broadband.
I hardly bake anything yet I want to buy this oven. It’s awesome and I know it, because of how effective this site is. It gives you the opportunity to view all the parts and use it to bake a variety of dishes with the help of a virtual chef. Fantastic.
Montreal Canada is an exciting town with European flavor. This site walks you through 12 places to visit. The video and interactivity provide an excellent opportunity to get to know the city and decide if it’s right for your next party vacation.
A promotion designed to revive consumers interest in milk, this site blends 3d characters with a small scale model of an island, created to be a game board. The Glass of milk — an extremely precious commodity — is at the center of this heavily-fortressed fantasy world. This site engages users and encourages them to actively participate. The concept is fantastic and the execution even better.
As far as layout is concerned, this isn’t the most groundbreaking site, but in terms of marketing a company through the web… highly effective. The tongue-and-cheek humor combined with a great story, sex-appeal and video interactivity make this one of the more effective fashion related on-line campaigns of 2007.
This is a good example of a campaign marketed consistently across the interactive and television platforms. Mature content, seamless integration of video and static graphics mark this brilliant execution.
Rishi on 13 Jan 2008 at 1:52 pm #
1.Get The Glass
Ultimate use of flash. When I saw it for the first time it wasnt interesting, but when i played it after a few days i was hooked on it.
2.Daddy Yankee
Love the EP design style and the use of AE on this site. The fullscreen treatment is brilliant, all components are big enough to fit a proper big screen and the bigger the resolution is the nicer the site.
3.Halo 3 Believe
Great to experience a game so close realtime. The way AKQA made this site, I dont know how they managed but it looks great.
4.Coca Cola Xmas
A perfect in the mood site. Perfect detailed animations and lovely style.
5.Air Jordan XX2
The video use is just pimpin’ this site to the max.
6.Cirque Du Soleil - Casting
Great animations. I would love to see how they did these kind of animations. Perfect stuff. The only down site is that its not full flash, so parts are a bit static, where if it would be flash be interactive.
7.UFC 78:Validation
Its simply great to see how people invest so much money just for 1 event promotion. The animation/colors/textures/sounds send out the theme, which to me is..raw and hardcore fights. Love it.
8.P.A.C.E.
This only BMW promo game is just great to play at work. The vfx is just great to experience, it looks like a fullflegged standalone game. Addicted.
9.Audi R8
Another Audi R8 site, the older site was great enough, but with this make-the-car experience it gives the user a feel that they are the main point of the car. Love the animation and style.
10.UFC 79: Nemesis
Again love the work of Balind. Great to experience and the details give the site that lil thing extra. The animation and sound together are great, perfect choice of em’. The buttons on main are killin’ it, love the vibration effect. Great work.
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Thats my 10 ten for 2007. I like that i can tell Balind how much i like his work esp. on the Daddy Yankee site. Its great:-D
btw. the UFC 81 site is up, thats not by you init Balind? (looks to plain to be your’s)
Balind on 13 Jan 2008 at 2:04 pm #
Thanks Rishi.
Yes we did 81, it was designed and developed it in under 2 weeks, so… I’m sorry if it’s too plain.
Teaming up with John Iacoviello for 82, it’s gonna be strongest one yet!
Rishi on 13 Jan 2008 at 2:49 pm #
Ooooh that sounds great! Waiting for it!
I just had a look again at 81, its not that plain..sorry..i had a quick look at it before the loader was a big plain..but i like the effect on the bodies! nicee!
Just seen the portfolio of John Iacoviello, hes got a massive portfolio!! Big flash “player”!
A few days ago I saw the Black:Guayaba mini site, was that your last work at EP? I recognised the AE effect, which you have been using a couple more times.
(sorry for goin off topic)
YAPP on 25 Jan 2008 at 2:30 pm #
Lookin forward to the 82 release buddy. I’m currently wrapping up Danica Patrick’s website myself, and you’ll be happy to know I dove into After Effects for a few things, lol. It’ll be up by the end of next week, check it out when you have time man.
Jason
Rishi on 03 Feb 2008 at 4:00 pm #
Balind. The 82 is killin’! Straight FWA!! Great work! Just like you said
I love it
YAPP on 04 Feb 2008 at 10:50 pm #
Yes sir, nice job on 82 buddy - love the after effects. I especially liked the Fight Card section. You guys whip those sites together pretty fast, and they still come out very cool and complete. I launched Danica on Friday (www.danicaracing.com). I had to throw that together pretty fast as well, some sections aren’t done and some sections were rushed because I had to get it up by Friday for the superbowl weekend…but I wouldn’t mind you checkin it out and givin me some feedback. I integrated some After Effects into it and I also got acquainted with Tweener for the first time and I love it. Anyways, again - good job on 82 my friend.
Jason
harris on 06 Feb 2008 at 12:06 am #
very nice balind, how i wish i have a mentor like ya.