Welcome to the Weekly Video Round-Up!

Every week we provide a look at how companies are using video to communicate effectively with customers, employees and investors.

VIDEO PROFILE IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Young and Free Alberta

Young and Free Alberta is a website powered by Servus Credit Union, which targets young Albertans and provides tips and financial information specifically for this age group. The organization recognized that young people were not well served by the financial industry, and sought to change the dynamic of the relationship by creating a platform that addresses young people directly, on financial issues that matter to them.  Using Social Media applications such as Facebook, Twitter and the Young and Free blog, not to push information but to facilitate conversation with their audience, Young and Free gain a greater understanding of what they want to know about.  Young and Free then produces a regular web series called Living Young and Free Show that tackles these concerns and creates scenarios that solve regular financial problems. The production quality may not be that great, but the authentic young hosts and subject matter is right on target for the audience as it addresses issues that are normally intimidating, in a way that is approachable and understandable for young viewers.

SUCCESSFUL VIDEOS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Don’t Wake Up In A Ditch

The plot of this video is simple; if you don’t have Direct TV bad things happen to you.  Scare tactics rarely work in advertising but this one is pretty convincing.

29 Ways to Stay Creative

Brought to you by Get out of the Box, a non-profit organization that motivates and mentors youth. A very creative video itself, we like the simple imagery and inspiring message.

Smart Thief

This video totally takes you by surprise in what appears to be regular security camera footage of a robbery, but actually turns out to be an ad from LG. They barely give it away at the end with the LG sign in the window.

Welcome to the Weekly Video Round-Up!

Every week we provide a look at how companies are using video to communicate effectively with customers, employees and investors.

VIDEO PROFILE IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Vacation Videos

It’s been reported that roughly 85% of travelers consider the internet their main source of travel planning, and nearly 68% of travelers watch travel-related videos before choosing a destination. Since most consumers go online to plan their vacations, WestJet wanted to accommodate their needs by creating a series of destination videos, specifically related to the vacation packages the airline offers. With each video is a new WestJet destination, where a host guides viewers through the local hot spots and attractions, giving them a glimpse of what each place has to offer. Conveniently located on their YouTube page, WestJet eliminates the need to refer to multiple sites for additional information. This is a great way to show travelers what they can expect during a holiday, or, if they aren’t already sold on the idea, reasons why they should visit. WestJet already has the reputation of providing excellent flight services, but these videos firmly establish the airline as vacation experts as well.

SUCCESSFUL VIDEOS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Walmart – Yodeling Cat

This video has no real purpose but to entertain. And entertain it does. Walmart was smart in keeping branding to a minimum, so as not to distract from the ‘talent.’

Hyundai Christmas Commercials

Hyundai has embraced online video with their latest commercials, by placing various viral video stars in the ads. We like the approach, although for the individuals who don’t find themselves up-to-date on the latest viral sensations it may miss the mark.

Will Ferrell – Old Milwaukee

Will Ferrell filmed a few ads for Old Milwaukee. In this spot we find him in the exotic location of Davenport, Iowa. Whatever the reason for these commercials, the result is still hilarious. Who better to sell your beer than Frank the Tank?

What is Open Source?

“Open source is a development method for software that harnesses the power of distributed peer review and transparency of process. The promise of open source is better quality, higher reliability, more flexibility, lower cost, and an end to predatory vendor lock-in.”

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Why Open Source?

Merchant Services Inc. (our merchant account) does not supply code to interact with their API (application programming interface) and process transactions online, so we wrote our own. To help other customers with merchant accounts through Merchant Services Inc. we have posted our code under the MIT license. This will help others as a starting point and save them money for development.

We frequently use Open Source Projects and like to contribute back when we can.

Source Code (svn)
Download (zip)

Posted by Beau Durrant