Agency 180LA and Brooklyn-based integrated production company m ss ng p eces create a new type of interactive spot using Interlude video technology for the latest evolution of the 2014 Pepsi MAX football campaign, NOW IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT. The playful ad launches in 100 countries worldwide, and has already made its way onto Creativity and AdAge, and has been selected it as AdWeek’s Ad of the Day.
m ss ng p eces approached 180LA with the idea of using Interlude to create a branded experience. The 2014 Pepsi MAX “Now Is What You Make It” campaign was a natural choice, and a welcome challenge for the creative teams, harnessing the power of music with the excitement of sports in this truly integrated “Live For Now” spot helmed by m ss ng p eces director Jordan Fish.
The star of a global spot is Stony, a talented young musician whose drumming and real-time looping videos have made him a YouTube sensation. Stony sets out on a journey through the streets of Rio, as he creates a song tap-by-tap and sound-by-sound. Along the way he meets up with the 2014 Pepsi MAX all-star football lineup – who all put their own take to the tune. The spot ends with a grand finale by Janelle Monáe as she performs a fresh rendition of David Bowie’s classic, “Heroes.”
The interactive version of the video allows the viewer to change the direction of the story through seamless technology with a simple click. Nearly every beat along Stony’s journey unfolds into an expanded and unexpected side story, from selecting what color spray paint Brazilian street artist Ricardo Akan will toss to Stony, to the user receiving a personalized autograph from Sergio Ramos. By making choices at key moments, every viewer sees the ad from a different perspective. m ss ng p eces also created a series of documentaries on the Art of Football directed by Tucker Walsh featuring the impressive cast of players from the interactive spot, which can be viewed in full at the end screen.
NOW IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT is emblematic of the new era of branded content: highly creative companies collaborating to create truly inventive audience experiences with the same level of dynamic filmmaking as a high-quality broadcast campaign.