2017 Winners & Shortlists

The Campaign

We reasoned if we could make the video before your video fun, maybe people wouldn’t skip, and perhaps also stay a while. So, we created The World’s first Pre-Video Videogames - making pre-roll ads which you didn’t’ just watch, but could also play. Two spots were made, one featuring a rebellious rock star umpiring a tennis game and another featuring an angry wrestler driving a school bus. Whilst watching, viewers could help the central protagonist grab a Snickers that was moving across the screen. By doing so they would turn the character back to their normal selves.

Creative Execution

Working with the limitations of the YouTube pre-roll format, the game was designed to use the only control input available to viewers: the pause button. And with no possibility to use code and build additional interactivity into the video, we made a game based solely on an editing trick. Using carefully placed one-frame stills at the exact point the bar passed the protagonist’s outstretched hand, the viewer could pause the film at the exact right time and ‘catch’ the bar. Doing so revealed the still frame showing the protagonist having caught the bar, and changed back to their normal self.

By nature of the simplicity of the game mechanic – it was perfect for larger screens and the small screen too – where our audience spends most of their time. It also had a universal appeal so ages could pick up and play easily. We launched and in the first week had over 2.1 MILLION VIEWS. Most crucially the spots achieved a 92% VEW RATE, which is 78% ABOVE THE INDUSTRY AVERAGE, an unprecedented result. Due to the success, the work is looking to be rolled out across many more markets than initially intended.

YouTube pre-roll ads have very low audience retention, with viewers invariably skipping the ads as soon as they can. We made spots that viewers didn’t just watch, but could also play as a game. Working with the limitations of the format, the game used the only control input available: the pause button. As no code can be used in preroll video, the whole game mechanic relied solely on an editing trick, where pausing at the right time revealed a one-frame still.