The Colony Experiment
Discovery Channel
Date: June 2010
Agency: Campfire
A Personalized Story Experience
Part backstory, part social experiment, the initiative combined multiple video sequences, photo galleries, and both real and “simulated” web pages to simulate an end-of-the-world social network.
Those who logged on via Facebook Connect experienced a highly personalized narrative – a worldwide viral outbreak as told through the eyes of the people that matter most to them; their own friends and family.
Cross Media Content
Original content supplemented the “status updates,” including specially created newscasts. “amateur” videos, photo galleries, blog posts and links.
All were embedded in an all-too familiar environment – the “Wall” of a Facebook-like site.
Celebrity & Influencer Participation
Well-known personalities and online influencers also participated by creating original video segments, including “How To’s” and fake PSAs. All were embeddable on blogs and personal websites, and spread virally with dynamically-attached pre- and post-roll bumpers as needed.
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What The Press Said:
The Discovery Channel has teamed up with Campfire to bring you what could quite possibly scare the piss out of you!–MovieViral
Campfire has done an excellent job marrying a smart creative concept with a great social media interaction opportunity.–Mashable
Creepy and brilliant at the same time, on the part of The Discovery Channel–MacMomma
In case you're wondering what the Internet was made for, I now have the answer.–Digigasm
Are we entering social advertising's creative golden age?–Mediapost