The Players:
Me, ACD Creative Technologies
Matt Sloan, ACD Creative
Doug Speidel, ECD
ID Media, Media Planners
Pointroll, Rich Media Vendor

The Ask:
MRM was tasked with creating banners for the launch of the new Nikon 1 camera. We were asked to match the style and tone of the microsite which MRM was also developing, and focus mostly on the style and "coolness" factor of the product.

Our Approach:
After prioritizing the features we wanted to highlight, we quickly realized that just a 40k banner was not going to do this product any justice. We convinced the client into letting us produce some rich media banners as well the standard 40ks. Nikon, at this point had never produced any rich media with us for their campaigns, so we sited examples from competitors and metrics as to how and why these would be effective. The client also gave us the freedom to change and shape the media buy as we saw fit. We contacted ID Media, got a list of sites and impressions, and started mixing and matching where rich media would be most effective (Gizmodo, Cnet, Engadget and other tech oriented sites where we felt users were going to actually learn about products), and where standard 40k banners with targeted messaging would suffice (other sites across their buy which were deemed mandatory, but were not technology focused such as TMZ, Fox Sports, etc).

Our Workflow:
The standard 40k banners were to focus mostly on the style of the camera and, despite its size and fashion appeal, was also full of features. This was going to be our "camera porn" banner. With only 40k to work with, I decided the best way to show the camera from it's different angles and in it's different colors while maintaining a high quality look was to redraw the camera in flash as a vector. There was also no way to introduce the colors of the camera without detracting from the features that we were trying to showcase. We decided to add a color selector at the end as a non-intrusive way for a user to flip through the colors without having to click through to a site. For the rich media, we decided to bring a portion of the site experience into the banner, focusing on the features from a non-technical perspective.

The Results:
This campaign was a huge success. Both the standard and rich media banners performed way above the averages for the Cameras category in Consumer Electronics. Our total interaction rate was just shy of 5%, with an average interaction time of almost 21 seconds per interaction, and a CTR of .28 (as compared to the category average of .08). The standard banners ended with a CTR of .09 (as compared to the category average of .02), and an interaction rate on the color swatches of .16. The client was so happy that they've now added rich media to their list of deliverables for each product launch.

The Players:
Me, ACD Creative Technologies
Adam Deher, UX
Susan Polisano, Copywriter
Patrick Wilson, Flash Developer
Sabina Sebastin, Account

The Ask:
MRM was tasked with creating a digital welcome kit for new subscribers of Verizon FiOS. At the time, customers were receiveing printed material, but the client wanted to give them a CD with all of their welcome materials instead. The secondary goal was for this disc to act as a troubleshooting guide, in turn reducing the call volume at the Verizon call centers.

Our Approach:
We first began with extensive interviews of FiOS customers, delving into their install experience and their frequently asked questions. We then gathered all of the data from the call centers and bucketed out the information into an outline of what people were calling about.

Our Workflow:
We started by developing a behavioral navigation. Instead of the standard verbage used by Verizon in the past, such as, "Navigating the IMG", we used something a little more familiar to a novice user like, "TV Listings". We broke out the UX in a way that coincided with the logical path of a user's journey. We sectioned it out into the obvious 3 sections of TV, Internet, and Phone, and then broke it down further from there. We decided early on that this disc wasn't for someone like us, but more for our parents, and viewed everything through that spectrum. We added section pertinent tips, faqs, and vsual cues to step a user through the journey.

The Results:
The Digital Welcome Kit was a HUGE success. It not only answered the ask of reducing call volume, but also led to new continuous digital business for MRM (at the time, this was our first digital work for Verizon). We are currently in the process of developing a new responsive design browser based version of the experience, which will launch by the end of the year. Our "behavioral navigation" approach was also so well received, that it is currently being implemented across all of the Verizon FiOS properties.

The Players:
Me, Senior Interactive Art Director
Greg Kaplan, GCD
Jon Rubino, CD
Nick Haurus, Flash Developer
Lewis McVey, Copywriter

The Ask:
MRM was tasked with creating a digital experience for World Mastercard applicants. This gateway was to be a cool interactive experience giving a brief overview of the rewards and luxuries associated with being a World cardholder.

Our Approach:
Back in 2008, 3D interactive experiences were in their infancy, but we decided to take a stab at it and stretch the boundaries of what we knew to be possible. Mastercard wanted something online that they could lay claim to as something that is cutting edge and fresh. This type of experience fit the bill.

Our Workflow:
This project had a crazy workflow to work around the problems associated with trying something for the first time. We worked under the "if we get it to work, keep doing the same thing" approach. My workflow for this would be to get sketches approved by the client, then modeling the low-polygon models in Maya, export them to Cinema 4D to texture map, then export to a Collada file, which was then imported in to flash. All of the models and textures had to be low in file size because they were being loaded and rendered in real time. All of the light sources and shadows had to be baked into the textures, so a lot of planning of where structures were going to be, and how the light would interact with each was key.

The Results:
The client loved it, and MRM received praise and publicity throughout the industry for pulling it off.