Client – Unilever Skip
Markets – South Africa
Timing – March 2015 – Present
Agencies/Vendors – BBH, Blink Productions, The Mill, Big Sync, String and Tins
Tech Word Cloud – interactive video, content marketing, engagement, motion control camera technology
Unilever’s Skip created an interactive video for YouTube to coincide with the rollout of their new product.
When Unilever’s Skip rolled out a brand new formula designed to preserve the beauty of clothes as well as cleaning them, they used it as an opportunity to break away from clichéd laundry advertising. They needed a campaign that would convey the message of “love of clothes” in an innovative and engaging way, and work that targeted women who don’t just do laundry – they love their clothes.
To achieve this goal, Skip developed an interactive music video on YouTube that replicated the sensation of online clothes shopping by allowing users to switch between multiple outfits throughout the video. Each outfit change comes with helpful tips on how care for them, and viewers can also discover hidden content meant to encourage repeat viewings.
The video’s dance routine was shot nine times (one for each wardrobe change) and just as the dancing had to match seamlessly from one outfit to the next, the camera movements were identical between takes because they were programmed to coincide with motion control camera technology. Unilever then worked closely with YouTube, who hosted the interactive, to ensure users could click through multiple changes as the film progressed. The interactive video was the first time a YouTube video could switch between as many as ten videos.
Unilever’s lead agency, BBH, worked with several tech partners to bring this video to life, including Blink Productions, The Mill, String and Tins, and Big Sync. In order to make for a rewarding engagement, Unilever made certain that technology simplified the experience for users. BBH developed a plug-in to ensure that audiences were in control of clothes they saw and the instructions they required.
Skip’s Dance campaign outperformed expectations, with other 20% YOY, the 2nd highest market share ever, and a spike in brand equity in the first month that would usually be seen after three months of activity. So far, the video has been viewed 13.5m times globally.