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Investigating "The Breach"
March 06, 2007
Creative Showcase: 65 Media's website for Universal Pictures' FBI film plunges users into the intriguing world of espionage, and the government agents charged with uncovering it.
Creative Notes
Firefox and Opera compatible
Campaign Details
Client: Universal Pictures
Creative Agency: 65 Media
Campaign Insight
Espionage and intrigue go hand in hand, and the official site for the upcoming film Breach capitalizes on public interest in the unknown and the secret lives of FBI agents and international spies.

The movie stars Ryan Phillipe as the young and promising Eric O'Neill, fresh out of the academy and assigned to work with enigmatic double agent Robert Hanssen, played by Chris Cooper.

On the official website, a cold and dreary backdrop of Washington D.C. sets the stage for the audience to explore the history of espionage. The "Uncover the Mole" game introduces world famous agents from Mata Hari to Julius Rosenberg to Nathan Hale, giving users clues in order to guess the correct mole for each case.

Once you've conquered counter-spying you can take the FBI Application digital exam to see if you have what it takes to join the Bureau, (there are some questions that eliminate your eligibility to qualify as an applicant, but you can discover those on your own) by answering several questions based on logic and reasoning, and even taking a polygraph test.

Watch clips from the movie, download wallpapers and messaging icons and learn a little about the history of espionage. Maybe you'll develop the skills to find the mole and uncover The Breach.
-- Krisserin Canary, associate editor, iMediaConnection

Editor's Note
Creative Showcase is meant to be a teaching tool and an inspiration for our readers. We comment only on creative that we really love. Our panelists discuss what makes it great, but if they feel there were missed opportunities that would have made it better, we invite them to mention those. And finally, we seek out a wide range of opinions that reflect the marketplace for the panel, in order to provide constructive, useable feedback for agencies, clients and others involved in these creative pieces.
The Panel
Unless you're hiding under a rock, you've heard something about the movie "The Breach." It seems to be everywhere, and everyone is discussing it. I haven't seen the movie yet, but was so glad to see that with the importance of interactive in today's media mix, the time was spent for more than just a run-of-the-mill movie website.

There is solid video streaming, with a nice layout and quick responses; a good selection to choose from and more than just the regular photo gallery and cast and crew-for example, there's a fake FBI exam and an "Uncover the Mole" game. Some real time and effort was put in, and I think it paid off. I felt engaged from the time I landed on the site and wasn't let down as I moved through the rich content and interesting features.

A movie site doesn't last very long -- it's got a short shelf life, even for the biggest blockbusters. So for the time "The Breach" will survive, I'm really impressed with the balance they found in putting together the pieces that will get me into the theater this weekend.
-- Keith D. Pape, senior partner/Vice president, FrontGate Creative

If you've ever experienced a DC winter, you'll recognize that the Breach site captures it nicely: cold, gray and dark. A brooding musical score plays behind 65 Media's Flash site, seamlessly staying with you regardless of how many times you click on the hovering "breach" text to reveal another scene and a few stills from the movie, accompanied by crisp voiceover and text. Each new click is another tease, reminding you why this movie is doing so well at the box office.
 
Hot spots (as targets) hover after each scene, offering the usual AIM icons, wallpapers and a chance to see the full theatrical trailer. A game is standard in today's movie site, so Universal and 65 Media give us "Uncover the Mole," which will test your knowledge of American espionage history. More innovative is the opportunity to take the FBI exam, seeing if you've got what it takes to join this elite law enforcement agency. I did not - I was disqualified during pre-screening. Maybe I should just go back and take it, lying on the pre-screening portion.
 
65 Media takes its assignment from Universal and does exactly what they were commissioned to do: make people want to see this film. I'm sold, and I likely would've waited for the DVD release had I not been asked to look in on this. I know how the movie ends, as anyone familiar with the story does, but 65 Media still piles on the mystery in such a way that I want to live in that dark DC world again, if only for a couple of hours.
-- Dave Wilkie, VP of creative, Kinetic Results and author of the advertising blog, Where's My Jetpack?

Footnote: Submissions are judged by a panel of industry experts from and based on the following criteria: how the creative captures the specific customer; how it meets the brand's business needs; impact of execution; and creativity. If you would like your creative considered for Creative Showcase, send an email to creative@imediaconnection.com.