Verizon knows what audiences like, themselves. The Action Hero site dives deep with the 15MB of fame theory by allowing visitors to
embed their faces into a slick summer blockbuster-style CGI action
sequence. I imagine that sort of curiosity
and vanity were part of what motivated the 11,000+ visitors to create and post movies on this site. (vanity was my push... i looked hot with a ripped super jock body!)
In the Action Hero site, Verizon addresses a factor often
neglected when creating good user generated content platforms. Users
expect something back. The process of creating my character and
determining my action sequence seemed a fair exchange for seeing
myself in the scene. The process was intuitive, clear and designed with the lowest common denominator in mind.
Customizable options and freakishly well done graphic
renderings made me into an action hero.
In all my years in the "pushing the envelope" game...I did have a "How did they do that?" moment when I watched a reasonably
accurate CGI replica of myself strut around the crisply-cut scenes.
Like most popcorn computer animated flicks, the movie itself is fun to look at and browsing the gallery was an
oddly addictive experiment in people watching.
I suspect this site will succeed at making Verizon's link to tying the
entertainment experience in with the product benefits as well as will dazzle their core target. The technology
behind it feels like magic and will certainly position the
brand as one that knows its what it takes to impress its consumer.
As I watched the 100MB file creep onto my desktop, it
occurred to me that if I did not already have broadband, I would
certainly need it then. Well done RGA & Verizon.
See the site at http://actionhero.verizon.com/
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