Brand Name: Levi’s
Agency/Campaign Creator: Avenue A | Razorfish
URL:  http://www.avenuea-razorfish.com/showcase/levis/

What is unusual and effective about the video campaign?
The Levi’s RedWire video banner ads were the result of an ambitious banner-specific production effort. Avenue A | Razorfish shot original video for the web ads and embedded interactivity into the video itself. We created six online ads, three of which were interactive. Each video banner vignette features someone wearing a particular style of Levi’s jeans: Slim Straight 514 for guys, Skinny 503 for gals and the Levi’s RedWire DLX for both guys and gals. Customers could roll over clearly-marked hot spots to see video demonstrations of the unique iPod features in the jeans. For example, two interactive ads showcase the unique features of the Levi’s RedWire Jean that has a made-for-iPod docking cradle and tracking wheel. The interactive video enables the user to learn how to plug an iPod into the jeans, and how to use the retractable clip-on headphones and wired-in joystick.

What sort of technology was used?
We shot the video in high-def and did all post-production digitally. We used a third-party rich media provider to facilitate and deliver the final ad stream and expanding capabilities.

Did it live on the brand’s site, was it distributed through an online video network, viral or was there some other model?
The ads were launched Sept. 15, 2006 and ran through Dec. 31, 2006. They were placed on sites like MSN, MySpace.com and RollingStone.com through the 2006 holiday season. The RedWire video is currently running on levi.com.

Was there any user-generated component to this campaign? Did you empower viewers to comment, favorite, download, mashup or do anything to the video?
There was no user-generated component.

How does the video campaign fit into and complement the overall brand strategy for the company?
Levi’s overall strategy is to create awareness around their wide range of fits and finishes, balancing the classic 501 with newer styles that reflect current fashion trends. For this campaign, we focused specifically on their latest endeavors: skinny, straight jeans and fashion technology. By using interactive video, we reflected their forward thinking approach to fashion with our forward thinking technology.

How would you improve the video campaign?
We learned that the viewer’s attention span is limited. In the future, we’re recommending that video banners be limited to 15 to 20 seconds, not the full 30 seconds allotted. For the Levi’s RedWire banners, we would add sound for more energy.

Brand Name: Dove/Unilever
Agency/Campaign Creator: Ogilvy & Mather (Toronto)
URL: http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/flat4.asp?id=6909
 

What is unusual and effective about the video campaign?
The Dove Evolution campaign broke barriers from the typical ad campaign and stirred up quite a bit of attention. This campaign evoked the truth around the extensive amount of retouching and airbrushing that goes into many advertisements.

What sort of technology was used?
Animation and basic editing and retouching was used over filming.

Did it live on the brand’s site, was it distributed through an online video network, viral or was there some other model?
Dove Evolution was a viral campaign launched through YouTube, but it was also placed on the Dove Campaign For Real Beauty site.

Was there any user-generated component to this campaign? Did they empower viewers to comment, favorite, download, mashup or do anything to the video?
Being launched on YouTube, there was a great amount of discussion and debate over this, which can also be found on the Dove website. The campaign certainly empowered users to comment.

How does the video campaign fit into and complement the overall brand strategy for the company?
We’ve seen many campaigns from Dove calling attention to natural beauty. This was yet another successful one, bringing attention to the many layers that revolve around the typical model in an advertisement.

How would you improve the video campaign?
The topic of “Real Beauty” has great for potential to leverage user-generated content. I would like to see Dove offer consumers the ability to show their personal perspective on beauty.