Vodafone’s latest entry in their #Firsts series is a wonderful example of powerful branded storytelling and cohesive video marketing. Launched less than a week ago as of mid-April 2014, the “#First Flight” narrative has breakout potential. The video follows the journey two elderly Dutch ladies (“nans”) undertake in preparing to fly for the first time. The short film already has over 600,000 views on YouTube alone with many more logged at the official site.
On the surface, this unorthodox premise contains a few obstacles to virality. Our two protagonists are ordinary grandmothers, not Hollywood celebrities. All spoken lines are conducted in Dutch with English subtitles. The short film runs about ten minutes in length. Later on, we’ll come to understand that many of these supposed “weaknesses” turn out to be strengths of the concept and execution much like Bell’s Whisky’s “The Reader.” The result is a charming final product that tackles themes of self-discovery, connection, and exploration.
“Ordinary to Extraordinary”
I’m reminded of Ricky Gervais’s advice on creativity when examining the arc of our protagonists: “Trying to make the ordinary extraordinary is so much better than starting with ‘extraordinary’ because it doesn’t really connect […] Whereas if something is real for one person, it’s touched their life. I think as a creator and a director it’s your job to make an audience as excited and fascinated about a subject as you are. And real life does that.”
The style of “#First Flight” is stripped down and straightforward. The documentary-ish setup allows us to identify with these two real people to a greater degree than a third-person, observational layout. This emphasis on authenticity leads to viewers connecting deeper with the narrative – laughing at the little quirks and feeling warmth at their triumphs – as human relationships overcoming conflicts trump glossy production values. The creators have clearly put their faith in viewers to respect the subject and genuinely care about what happens to them, hallmarks of a compelling story.
Invest In Your Story
The first four minutes (40% of the overall piece) are devoted to establishing characterization, building expectations, and setting the stage. Many branded videos don’t even last four minutes total! The pacing is slow, deliberate, and confident. This method of storytelling respects not only its central figures but the audience itself. Think of the narrative’s climax as the return on investment. The story of An and Ria overcoming their obstacles and reaching their goal is that much richer and heartwarming when patience pays off.
Invest In Your Characters
“#First Flight” benefits from having two sympathetic leading figures. After all, An and Ria are actual people, not actresses. Here, the creators should be commended for portraying these ladies not as hollow caricatures but real people with real anxieties and real desire. Video marketers can elicit several helpful writing and storytelling techniques from their exposition and interplay.
First, voice your characters’ concerns. While it’s always better to show rather than tell, the documentary aesthetic of this video allows An to directly address viewers about her fear of flying. As a result, we can identify with her backstory with greater understanding. These fears and anxieties become the concrete obstacles that our protagonist must overcome to accomplish her journey. Your hero needs a purpose! Identifying this goal to be vanquished establishes the basic arc and skeleton of your narrative.
When arranging your video on multiple protagonists, be sure to offer contrasts.
Audiences will have a tougher time distinguishing characters who share very similar perspectives. Here, viewers fall back on physical traits or characteristics to keep track of “who’s who” and “what’s what.” It makes for a very boring viewing experience. The creators immediately juxtapose the beliefs and values of their duo at the forefront of the video. An is the more cautious and reserved of the grandmothers who must surmount her fears.
Ria immediately chimes in and expresses her “can do, open arms” attitude that is starkly different. Here, we are beginning to see the potential dynamic between these two friends. Ria can serve as a supporting guide to help An conquer her fear and achieve personal growth. She even says so herself:
Their seemingly polar-opposite personalities make for compelling interactions. It’s like an Odd Couple or Golden Girls dynamic as these two grannies find themselves enduring wild circumstances with a common goal. Viewers find themselves smiling and chuckling at An’s deadpan fluster and Ria’s one-liners. The underlying chemistry between these newfound friends – in addition to their honest reactions – is the real heart of the video, transcending language barriers and time constraints.
Your B-Roll Means Something
Many branded videos feature pristine cutaways that are visually congruent but rather boring and dull. These inserts are usually utilitarian in purpose and faithfully move the story along. However, when given the opportunity, you are able to really say something with a seemingly mundane image. For example, the production team quickly introduces the “status quo” of Ria and An’s lives with telling metaphors.
It’s morning, just past 6:30 A.M. Ria’s in the midst of her routine. She does a crossword while waiting for her hair. (What a nice little character touch, her salon-style dryer has “Princess” scrawled on it). She sips on a cup of tea in the kitchen with an overcast backdrop. This is the figurative mold to be broken as Ria agrees to live outside her comfort zone. Tellingly, the creators use a cutaway of a clock to indicate Ria’s self-awareness about mortality and how short life really is. They even use an insert of Ria’s deceased husband to further drive home the point of “now or never.”
To make An’s arc and payoff that much more rewarding, we need to establish her as stuck. Her short introduction montage quickly echoes themes similar to Ria’s predicament: the infirmities of old age and the drabness of routine. The montage includes shots of a motorized scooters that bring visions of an assisted living facility to mind. We see an unadorned, white-walled room with two twin beds. Next, an old black and white wedding photo of An and her husband in their youth. We cut back to the present and An and her husband silently watch television, lit by the glow of the screen. It looks austere, buttoned-up, and a bit depressing. When An lands in Barcelona and video chats with her husband, the emotional payoff is phenomenal as we see one of our protagonists overcome a large burden weighing her down. Now, An is really free to explore Barcelona during the rest of her strange, magical journey.
Consistent Branding & Optimization
The first screen we see lays out the campaign premise: Vodafone acts as a conduit for people to take on something greater. The brand’s products take a backseat to the stories and struggles of the real people featured in the #Firsts series. We are introduced to their branding: the “#First” hashtag contrasted in red against white text on a black screen and the grey “firsts.com” watermark that appears in the top right hand corner.
The video is entitled “An & Ria’s #First flight – the full film” by the “Vodafone Firsts” YouTube channel. Again, the team is adamant about consistently applying the #First hashtag. Unfortunately, the “Vodafone Firsts” YouTube channel currently doesn’t have any playlists created. Besides all the YouTube SEO benefits of extended watch time, etc., I feel that An and Ria’s amazing story would benefit from a playlist chronicling their entire adventure including behind the scenes footage, outtakes, additional interviews, and follow ups down the road. Of course, Vodafone might prefer harnessing this curiosity to their official site instead.
Offer a Wealth of Content
Ria and An’s adventure is not limited to a ten minute short film. Vodafone’s campaign site has smartly offered a variety of content beyond the central narrative. Viewers can also see:
- An outtake of Ria enjoying a rollercoaster
- Pictures taken by the grannies during their trip
- An testing herself with a flight simulator to address a fear of flying
- A branded piece on the Vodafone Unaxone tablet
- A trailer for the video
- A behind-the-scenes slideshow featuring production photos and happenings during the trip
It’s interesting to note that the short clip of Ria experiencing a rollercoaster has greater viral potential than the larger story itself. Major outlets such as Yahoo, Buzzfeed, and others have already shared the infectiously joyful piece. The video has accumulated over 500,000 views in less than 48 hours of publication on YouTube with more earned views surely coming.
Offering a variety of content gives viewers choices in how they explore the overall story. This strategy only strengthens the core premise of the story as the relationship between audiences and the two protagonists deepen with each new content consumed. Yes, the ten minute film stands on its own merits. However, viewers can achieve greater understanding, context, and relatability after checking out the behind-the-scenes footage and outtakes.
Brand: Vodafone
Client: Martin Green, head of brand engagement at Vodafone
Agency: AKQA and Ogilvy
Creatives: Alastair Mills and Greg Mullen
