Top 5 Innovation Executions

Some projects just stick with you, and here is some of the work we're most proud of and indeed raising a glass to celebrate. Moments where the creative instinct and the technology clicked, the brand showed up in a way that really meant something to the audience, and the work took on a life of its own. This is the stuff that reminds us why we do this…see for yourself, we think it's pretty good.

Recreating the Throne Room in an XR experience with amazing quality that could be engaged with on your phone was not a task for the faint of heart. Our team crushed it though with this one. The dragon eggs were all timed to release content over the course of a month, and it kept users coming back for more, more entries into the sweepstakes, more content, and more dragons.

We put some Respect on her name for this one. Using images of Jennifer Hudson as Aretha, we collaborated with carefully selected artists to create large-scale animated AR murals in Detroit and New York City for the film RESPECT. The murals didn't just hang on the wall, though; with a scan of a QR code, your phone brought them to life through web-based Augmented Reality. Additionally, we captured time-lapse video of the mural's creation and installation footage, which we turned into social content. The unique quality of these installations was shared by users across social channels.

The year was 2010, and The Expendables franchise was about to explode onto the theatrical scene. Our plan to promote the film…blow up a YouTube page, digitally, of course. We had exactly 20 minutes with Sylvester Stallone at the press junket to get the video we needed. He killed his part, and our team did the rest. The result was a YouTube rumble page that turned into an all-out assault on awards shows in 2011. It set the bar very high for future Rumble Page experiences.

Web-based augmented reality was only just becoming a thing when we took it to superhero-like levels with this scavenger hunt execution. To promote the release of Zack Snyder's Justice League on HBO Max, we developed an interactive hunt throughout AT&T's US flagship stores. Users had to find and scan QR codes and answer questions about the film. Once they completed the experience, they were rewarded with a shareable Justice League badge and a real-world swag bag. The experience took off and helped power the Justice League and HBO Max to a great launch.

Some projects are innovative because they push the boundaries of what you thought was possible technically. Others, like this promotion for Lionsgate's The Last Exorcism, well, they push other boundaries. In this immediately viral execution, we scared the living daylights out of unsuspecting guys lurking on Chatroulette in search of a tawdry encounter. While they thought they were going to get a show from a cute girl, they were instead shocked by our demon-possessed actress. And their reactions powered our video to well over 1 million views in just 24 hours — without a single paid dollar to boost views. This will always and forever be one of our favorite projects.

Honorable Mentions

We had too many to just share five, so we threw in a few honorable mentions that could have just as easily been in our top 5.

Impractical Jokers

HighWire VR

This HighWire VR act was no joke. When you put the headset on and stepped up to the plank, it was scary as hell. We took it to Comic-Con for TruTV and watched as people experienced what it was like to be 30 stories up walking a wire. This video shows you just how terrifying the experience was.

Petmoji

The Secret Life of Pets

In 2016, BitMoji was all the rage, and people were animating themselves with ease. It was a novel concept that today seems pedestrian. But when Universal asked us if we could do it with pets for The Secret Life of Pets release, we said sure…we think. The problem — while humans all have similarly shaped heads, noses, ears, hair, etc., dogs and cats most definitely do not. But the challenge was accepted, and Petmoji, along with many awards, was the result. You might say we were Best in Show.

Furious 7

Dubsmash Challenge

Before there was TikTok, there was Dubsmash. The ultimate app for lip-syncing to song lyrics or TV show and movie quotes. It was catching on fast with audiences as people shared their creations across social media. There could only be one brand that was first to partner with them, and we felt the Fast and Furious family should be that brand. So we pitched a sweepstakes for Furious 7 that sped its way to great success and millions of views in a first-of-its-kind promotion.