Verizon is promoting its broadband offering with The Beatbox Mixer, a do-it-yourself mixing board featuring big name talent including Rahzel from The Roots and Click Tha Supah Latin from Eminem's 8 Mile.
Every sound on the site is produced by the human voice, and the synch between the artists' faces and the music happens in real-time. Exceptional work from our friends at R/GA.
The Beatbox Mixer is just one component of the Richer Deeper Broader portal, which includes other microsites featuring a series of short films, video testimonials, and an online game based around fiber optic cable (!).
Ironically, you can only experience these rich sites if you already have a broadband connection. But the depth of this site makes Comcast's entertainment portal look positively restrained.
Will it sell more broadband? It's hard to know. What do you think about modern-day utilities taking a consumer technology approach to marketing? (thanks Anji)
Misha Cornes
Strategists & Planners
Comments (4)
I think it absolutely will work - provided legislators don't rain on the parade. Web experiences will continue to get richer, and provide a voice to a varied audience so long as law-makers do not bow to pressure to divide the internet to a two-tiered system. This little flash app is a good example - very entertaining, and the interface reminds me a lot of one of my favorite desktop apps, "Fruity Loops".
Posted by Timboy. | July 21, 2006 5:31 AM
Posted on July 21, 2006 05:31
My fear is that just entertaining someone doesn't bring them any closer to buying your product. I know decades of commercial advertising suggest otherwise, but the excuse was always that TV exposure to the brand builds familiarity, which creates emotional resonance, etc., which then ultimately produces a lift at the point of sale. A "fun" commercial is one industry norm.
But the web is also a point of sale. Shouldn't we expect web experiences to work a little harder to sell the product?
Posted by Misha | July 21, 2006 9:14 AM
Posted on July 21, 2006 09:14
Very cool. It's about time we saw some real interactive, entertaining content that truly utilized some serious broadband. What amazes me is that this is from the phone company........? Are you kidding me??? Maybe they're finally getting it.....
Posted by Matty Matt | July 21, 2006 9:57 AM
Posted on July 21, 2006 09:57
Misha, you are one big Fruit.
Posted by Loopy | July 21, 2006 4:54 PM
Posted on July 21, 2006 16:54