Kiwibank – GreenOps
Client: Kiwibank
Agency: Ogilvy
Technology: Flash, Youtube API, Facebook API
Kiwibank needed to spread the word about new switching laws in New Zealand. Ogilvy created an entertaining online video experience through a bespoke YouTube channel called ‘Green Ops – Operation Easyswitch’ to let consumers know how easy it is to switch banks.
The YouTube channel provided a first person gamified experience, with users moving around the platform like a special agent and discovering different reasons to move to Kiwibank. Hotspot links provided extra random moments of humour and interest, with not-so-subtle references to its competitors.
The campaign blitzed every switching record in the bank’s history, with switching applications received at six times the past rate. During the ten-week campaign it had the biggest ever switching day, followed by its biggest ever switching week and then month. It has also won multiple advertising awards.
Role: I was given the task of putting together the Youtube channel for Green Ops. All video had to be served by Youtube, so a skinned chromeless player was used to display this. I worked closely with Ogilvy’s video department to get video supplied at the correct ratio, size and format.
Due to the scale of production I needed to develop a system for multiple flash designers to work on the various animations and interactions. I settled on a main SWF with a sequencer that would load the next SWF or video depending on the variables passed back. There was approximately 45 videos and SWFs that the sequencer pulled in depending on the choices the user made. Much like a pick-a-path reading book. The solution allowed me to focus on Facebook Connect and other trickier elements of the build while the animations and interactions were worked on.