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.

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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.

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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

Lululemon – Sh*t Yogis Say

YouTube has exploded with various copycat versions of the viral video Sh*t Girls Say and Lululemon wisely jumped on the bandwagon by producing a Yoga version. The spot has just over 500,000 views on YouTube, and has gained the Canadian brand national recognition in just over a week. While the intention may have just been to poke fun at the yoga community, the viral ad was well-timed and executed and completely unexpected from a brand’s usual advertising techniques of promoting a healthy and peaceful lifestyle. Lululemon has proved how well in tune they are to social trends and wisely took advantage to gain exposure for the brand.

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Google India – Tanjore

Another great ad from Google, this one tells the story of a real-life businessman from India and how he used the internet (and Google, obviously) to breathe life into an ancient art form and grow his business.

Doritos – Crash the Superbowl

Doritos has launched another challenge for fans to create the next Superbowl ad for the brand. This is a great campaign as it engages fans, and with every commercial entry the brands gets a little more free advertising.

History of the Modern Calendar

Ever wonder how the calendar evolved over the centuries? This video explains it all in just under 4 minutes. If only History lessons could be this short!

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

The Big Reveal

Encana created this video as an introduction to their new and improved website. Wanting to stay away from the more reserved ‘talking head’ approach, Encana envisioned something a little more fun, that would reflect the dynamic and engaging layout of the website. The video is a unique approach to a website reveal, using real Encana employees and community members to describe the new features and the functions of the site. To build the hype, Encana released a short trailer weeks before to promote the launch, with the tagline ‘ Redesigned with you in mind.’ Encana was effectively able to promote their new website and had some fun in the process while giving viewers a glimpse of their personality and the culture of the organization.

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Santa’s Assistant

Ever wonder how Santa is able to deliver all those presents in one night? Well, now we know. He uses the Siri assistant on his iPhone. With 3.7 billion appointments, there’s no wonder he needs an assistant.

Luck is an Attitude

The Martini brand released this ad which teaches the lesson that luck does not happen by chance, but is seized instead. When all else fails, a little liquid courage may make things easier.

Snow Woes

By showing a compilation of winter driving fails, TomTom is able to hammer home the point of safe driving and careful planning needed in winter driving conditions.

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.

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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?

Welcome to the Weekly Video Round-Up!

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

VIDEO PROFILE IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Internal Videos Go External

As part of their ongoing workplace safety efforts, Encana recently produced a training video focused on safe driving. The video was created to facilitate conversation amongst workers and create awareness of safe practices for driving work vehicles. What Encana did differently however, is post the video publicly on their YouTube channel, as opposed to posting it on an internal website. Not only did this make it easier for employees to access the video, but from a Public Relations standpoint it shows that Encana is a safety conscious organization, constantly making efforts to train employees properly and provide resources to prevent accidents from happening further.

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Heineken Beer Friender

Heineken is relying completely on social media for their latest Christmas campaign, and integrated with video into their strategy to market their idea and spread the word. This is one of the more clever social media campaigns we’ve seen, although it may be easier to just buy it yourself.

Kittywood Studios

This clever video was launched with the intent to mock the agency and production world with the launch of Kittywood Studios. The video quickly went viral, boosting the producer’s image in the process.

Great Films Fill Rooms

Sony created a series of videos to promote the new Playstation Video Store. Each video was created with the intent to show a virtual world. Shot in real time, one take, no editing or post-production. The effects really are unbelievable!