Arctic Air: Second-Screen Experience

As a harrowing kidnapping unfolded on CBC’s Season 2 northern drama, TV viewers saw Arctic Air’s cast frantically search for the missing Caitlin on the season finale. It was the perfect opportunity to introduce a time-released parallel story concurrently on second screens. Working closely with CBC’s team, the transmedia narrative used digital-only video, text messages, and voicemails to tell our hero’s side of the ordeal with information unlocking as the show progressed. The campaign was later packaged into a legacy piece that added an extra 15 minutes of essential story to the whole.

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Mr Young: Derby’s Derby

Thunderbird Film’s teen sitcom is as adored for its cast as it is for its quick-witted humour. So when Switch United was tasked with adding a game to the Mr. Young world, we asked its beloved stars for a little help. Set loose in the studio, they created their own derby racing machines that we rendered in 3D and an award-winning game developer brought the models to life. The resulting addictive racing game — Derby’s Derby — was a true extension of the Mr. Young universe, complete with audio from the cast and plenty of visual nods to the set, story and characters. Watch the case study video below and play the game here.

Museum of Vancouver: The Visible City

Vancouver has a complicated history with its neon past. Once home to 20,000 neon signs, they gradually disappeared – only to make a resurgence with changing attitudes and aesthetics. But it’s the stories behind this colourful canopy that the Museum of Vancouver set out to explore. Through an online exhibition and mobile walking tour app, Switch United told that narrative through the eyes of Vancouverites. With archival photos, audio interviews, bilingual text, augmented reality, and user-generated content, this first-of-its-kind virtual exhibit blends a city’s storied past with its exciting digital future. Watch a video about the app by Greg Durrell here.

Yukon Gold

Airing on History Television, Paperny Entertainment’s Yukon Gold profiles four gold mining crews in the rugged Canadian North. Life up there is gritty, tough, and totally outside most people’s realm of experience – so Switch United brought mining to the masses with an immersive online destination. Going far beyond basic show info, we created five story worlds that explored the characters, their lifestyle and the hardships they face, plus the pervasive influence of mining on Dawson City (both historically and today). Optimized for desktop, mobile and tablet, the site is supported by a robust social media strategy and a unique referral-based contest that gives one lucky winner a firsthand chance to visit the North.

TSN: Engraved on a Nation

To celebrate the 100th Grey Cup, TSN embarked on an ambitious project: the broadcaster became a documentary filmmaker by hiring eight award-winning directors to tell eight unique Grey Cup stories. The resulting films are a national treasure; and early in the process, they tapped Switch United to take it to transmedia. Enamored with the storytelling aspect, we saw an opportunity to expand upon the documentaries as well as tell the stories they couldn’t – the hundred that make up a century of Grey Cup games. A visually compelling interface, hundreds of hours of writing and research, custom interactive video content, and a responsive design built for desktop, mobile and tablet brought the experience to life. See Website.

Primeval New World

A darker, sleeker, sexier version of a UK favorite deserves a site to match. Omnifilm Entertainment’s Canadian spin-off saw a team of experts (and the dinoaurs they’re chasing) take to the streets of Vancouver. Switch United created a cross-platform destination for a huge international audience that introduces the new cast and creatures while letting fans take part in the experience. User generated content, exclusive extras, apps, and a top-secret non-traditional engagement campaign are tools we used to ramp up the frenzy for this soon-to-be cult hit.

The War of 1812: Been There, Won That

How soon is too soon to poke fun of a war? CBC thought 200 years was about right, so on its bicentennial, The War of 1812 was commemorated with a two-hour documentary special and interactive graphic novel. In the latter, Switch United put an irreverent spin on a strange war – examining the major milestones and leading men (and women!) in an illustrated, four-part saga. And did we mention it’s narrated by a talking beaver? Built in HTML5 and Javascript, the experience combines a humorous but factual re-telling with rich illustrations and interactive pop quizzes, and finally clears up that pesky little issue of just who won (and lost).

The Cupcake Girls

Fan Engagement Campaign

People love cupcakes. And they really love Cupcake Girls. For the show’s third season, Switch set out to grow a community while rewarding the existing loyal fan base. Experience taught us that the fans wanted more of Heather and Lori, the show’s exuberant stars, so Facebook was the place to deliver. On it, we challenged fans to spread the word about Cupcake Girls and unlocked exclusive content when certain ‘Like’ milestones were reached. To help build buzz, we also offered the ultimate incentive: a live video chat with Heather and Lori following the season premiere. Our tactics paid off, and with the help of a dedicated community manager sustaining engagement, Facebook ‘Likes’ grew by 134%.

Delmer and Marta

As main characters in Season 3 of CAUTION: May Contain Nuts (airing on APTN and BITE), self-anointed couch psychics Delmer & Marta have been brought to life online in this fortune-telling website, On Love and Money. The blue-collar couple, played by Edmonton comedians Sheldon Elter and Howie Miller, created 650 unique comedy routines for web only, programmed by Switch United so that hilarious fortunes respond to user-submitted questions on the topics of love or money. Echoing the audience’s willingness to ask almost anything, the pair vent on topics ranging from getting laid to getting laid off. Producer:  Mosaic Entertainment . Funding: Bell Fund, CMF, APTN, BITE , and the Alberta Multimedia Development Fund.

Ice Pilots NWT

Multi-Platform Campaign for TV Series

Three seasons in and the multi-platform campaign for Omni Film’s Ice Pilots NWT docu-reality series on History Television continues to engage fans and flying buffs between (and even during!) episodes. With the foundation of a strong digital strategy from Fantrust, and thanks to funding from Bell and the Canada Media Fund, we’ve been able to bring a number of innovative online ideas to life, including Season 1’s interactive ‘Storymap’ and Season 2’s ‘Social TV’ and mobile website. Season 3 was accompanied by ‘Air Hunt,’ a next-generation virtual scavenger hunt that combines social networking dynamics with traditional game play. Exceeding network and producer expectations, the multi-season campaign continues to fuel fans’ passion online and grow audience across platforms. Season 4 has just been announced.

The Digital Gateway

Interactive Wall

Switch United, in association with Tangible Interaction, transformed a dark, dingy corridor into a 110 ft. long interactive installation showcasing economic success stories in Canada’s West. Fifteen short-throw projectors and 45 IR sensors triggering Flash animations ‘painted’ the wall with sector-based vignettes as visitors to the 2010 Commerce Centre moved down the passageway. Original music by composer Terry Frewer, a themed environment created in association with 3DS, and a 22-page souvenir booklet completed the fully immersive, ‘people powered’ experience.

Sportsfan Engagement

How much is a fan worth? What about millions of them? What if you could profit from engaging fans with premium and connected content on a year-round basis? At Switch United, we help pro sport teams, venues and sponsors create new revenue streams by engaging fans in a meaningful and measurable way, and putting their passion to work. From ‘smart’ stadiums with touch screens and augmented reality tools to premium on-demand multi-platform content, we rally fans around team-owned, sponsor-ready channels. Our solutions extend reach beyond the game, beyond the venue, beyond the season, and into the everyday – resulting in new opportunities for engagement and monetization.

Hiccups

Season Two Portal Site

Just as Hiccups the TV show brought together a talented cast (led by Nancy Robertson as outburst-prone children’s author Millie Upton and Brent Butt as her befuddled life coach Stan Dirko), Hiccups the website featured an ‘ensemble’ of its own. For Season 2, we evolved the site to accommodate a growing cast of ‘characters’ – CTV video player, webisodes, Twitter feeds, contests, behind-the-scenes content, and a social Facebook game (created by Ayogo Games).

Curious Tree

Multi-Touch Digital Art Installation

When industry organization DigiBC was asked to showcase digital talent at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, Switch United was delighted to join leading Vancouver-based companies to transform a 4′X4′ cube as a digital blank slate to help tell the story of the B.C. Pavilion. By touching the fully interactive panels, multiple visitors could bring each scene to life, making flowers grow, butterflies soar, kites fly, leaves fall, icicles drip, and creatures appear magically from the tree trunk. A whimsical soundtrack was custom-engineered to sync with each touch, bringing the kind of measurable ROI we love, such as a four year old’s comment, “Mum, can we go to the place where the beach balls grow on trees?”

Arctic Air

Interactive Adventure Game for New TV Series

For Season 1 of Omni Film and CBC’s Arctic Air, a three-part adventure game launched by Switch United created more buzz around the new hit series. Designed as an interactive graphic novel, the game invites adventurers to test their arctic survival skills by jumping over ice flows, hunting with a slingshot, and flying a damaged Cessna. The game has attracted both existing fans and new viewers alike to journey through the Arctic with main characters Krista and Bobby, whose rocky interactions add a layer of intimacy to the experience.