05 Best Brand Experiences:
Unlike the previous year, 2005 was less about innovation in brand engagement and more dominated by polished big budget productions. The release of Flash 8 this summer resulted in heaps of experimentation which will mature and make the new year the most exciting yet.Here are 5 sites that wowed us Armchairs in ‘05 - tell us what you think:
1: IKEA Dream KitchensUsing Bullet time technology, the IKEA Dream Kitchens website wraps you in an exciting 360 degree retail experience like you’ve never seen before on the web.
2: ADIDAS Y-3Like Jamiroquai’s “Travelling without Moving” video, Adidas Y-3 challenges traditional web design with it’s gravity free models in a cube interface.
3: TOYOTA AYGOTo illustrate a concept of subscribing to a car and capturing its personality, the Toyota Aygo unsuspectedly unfolds through a mail slot.
4: CORPSE BRIDE:It’s an appetizer to the movie, a flawlessly executed website that invites you into the world of it’s characters.
5: SAAB:This site pulls off making SAAB feel luxurious, wild, sexy and dangerous by mixing David Lynch-esque visuals with interactive media.
Comments:
its not cool to pat yourselves on the back so i give a best of 2005 shout-out…
yes indeed those are all quality sites aygo rocks my socks, but lets not forget that sweet little site at http://www.them5.com
Andrew Hollister, December 29, 2005 at 5:14 am
Thank you Andrew, as always, you are too kind!
Stefan Kjartansson, December 29, 2005 at 3:17 pm
I think Audi’s ART OF THE H3EIST should’ve made it. It was a brilliant mix of reality/gaming that had eveyone confused as to what was made up. MTV even did an interview with a character in the game, at the EA conference in California. They thought he was an actual videogame developer. Not to mention the amount of buzz it created when Audi’s newest car was stolen from the showroom floor at the biggest carshow in the US.
I also want to give props to whichever account guy was able to sell that idea. “See, we are going to steal your car, make up fake websites, immerse hundreds of thousands of people who will daily blog about the events, use the team who shot the Blair Witch Projectto shoot our video, and sell all your inventory…”
Unreal.
Micah, December 29, 2005 at 3:29 pm
That site was actually on our list, but didn’t make the cut. Oh, well. Now, let’s kiss and make up.
Stefan Kjartansson, December 29, 2005 at 3:35 pm
If Victoria’s Secret hadn’t been killed in the first few days for being too racy(?!?), their Pink Pany Poker site would’ve probably been up there. The CPB/NorthKingdom piece was perfectly executed and way addictive.
Kenny Ferguson, December 29, 2005 at 3:46 pm
I agree that Audi’s Art of the Heist should have made it as well. It may not have been as heavy on the flash, but in terms of brand experience, it was much more in-depth than any of those listed here. People spent hours upon hours interacting with that campaign. The loading issues alone on the Corpse Bride site were enough to diminish many people’s interest in it.
Andrew makes a good point… The M5 would have made it into my consideration list as well.
John, January 3, 2006 at 2:29 pm
Congrats on the recent additions to your staff. Next, add one who can help discern “it’s” from “its”… Pretty pictures are nice but ultimately business is about meaningfulness.
Anonymous, January 5, 2006 at 7:27 am
to brave anonymous: how good is your icelandic?
Kenny Ferguson, January 5, 2006 at 2:21 pm
Oh, my Icelandic, its not that good either…
Stefan Kjartansson, January 7, 2006 at 7:58 am