By Chris Lee

The football World Cup 2010 kicks off in South Africa in less than two months’ time. The tournament organiser FIFA has selected drinks firm Powerade as official provider of rehydration liquid for players. While sportsmen and women may well be aware of the brand and the importance of rehydration, many may not, which is why the firm turned to customer experience company SapientNitro to help raise awareness using social media.

NMK caught up with SapientNitro’s executive creative director Juan Morales, to learn more.

Briefly describe what you’re doing for Powerade

We created several elements for this campaign including a print campaign, TV spots, banners, and viral videos. Each element drives viewers to a digital experience on www.youtube.com/Powerade. This digital experience is a film that shows players from around the world taking part in a never-ending football game. After all, there is probably a football game going on right now somewhere and Powerade not only helps make the game last longer, but helps make it better.

This film showcases some amazing football from around the world but also gives you the ability to see what that player is feeling in his mind and in his body. By clicking on a player’s ‘Deep Dive’ we get a glimpse into that player’s psyche, showing us what effect Powerade has on his game. We felt this technique was a great way to educate consumers while keeping them entertained all at the same time.

What is ‘Deep Dive’ technology and how does it work?

Technically, this is more of a technique than it is a technology – another method of telling stories that the public might not be totally used to, yet. However this concept is not 100 per cent unique. Other brands have been playing in this space and we felt it was a perfect way to tell the story people don’t always hear about – the story that happens in a player’s mind. This technique gave us the opportunity to explore a player’s mind frame and find ways to illustrate the feelings they must be having in a totally unique way.

The way it works is that we can provide hotspots off the main film experience that if clicked lead you off into another short story. These hotspots can all be clicked or not, it’s really up to the user to click on what they find interesting. However by clicking on each deep dive you begin to understand each player a little bit more, giving the overall story a lot more meaning. 

What is the business case for deep-dive technology?

I think with any technology it’s not about using it just because it’s the latest and greatest thing. I think techniques like this should be used if it is true to the idea at hand and helps solve a problem. In our case, education was essential. If this is the best way for you to tell your story then so be it. But it’s definitely not the right execution for every assignment. I think brands that have a story to tell will find this technique very useful. It takes video content and makes it an interactive experience. We’re used to video being a passive experience but this kind of technology allows you to get the viewer involved in decision making and crafting the actual story they are seeing. The possibilities for a technique like this in the film making industry are huge. Imagine watching Iron Man 2 and getting to choose which direction you take the film? Which camera angle, which cast member should I follow etc.

How effective is YouTube as an advertising/engagement channel?

The latest philosophy in the digital ad world lately is to “fish where the fish are”. Let’s not spend tons of money creating platforms that no one knows exist and leverage existing platforms to house our message. This was and is the case for using YouTube as an advertising channel. We know millions of people are visiting YouTube on a global level. Putting our experience on the YouTube platform allows us to be found easier than if we weren't. By opting for a paid channel we were not only allowing our channel to live on YouTube’s site, it also gave us the opportunity to have videos placed throughout the site to help drive traffic to the channel during the actual games. Our data shows that during World Cup months the search for football related content increases by a staggering amount.

Keep in mind YouTube is the second largest search engine next to Google. Being there instantly gives us the opportunity for more exposure than if we weren’t.