Our strategy was to, literally, blow up the internet.
We unleashed Firebreather's larger-than-life monster disguised as a perfectly normal YouTube video, making it shake, smoke, and burn to a crisp.
Cartoon Network loved the YouTube takeover so much, they asked us to create one for their homepage during the premier.
But the wild YouTube takeover was just one component of a comprehensive digital campaign. On Facebook, status updates began weeks before the premiere, telling the movie’s back-story while releasing trailers, custom-built games, and propaganda-style posters. Interactive banner ads across the internet let users morph the main character from human to monster while meeting the supporting cast. Finally, a blockbuster-style website housed digital content like wallpapers, avatars, and a quiz, yet had the visual vibrancy to be an experience in and of itself.
Firebreather premiered #1 for the night among all cable and broadcast television networks for all kids and boys demographics. The network’s first-ever CG original movie event attracted 3.7 million viewers ages 2 and up, beating all other television networks by considerable double digits and ranking as the second most-watched telecast of the year among targeted viewers.
The YouTube takeover topped half a million channel views and 340 subscribers during its 10-day flight, becoming the second most-viewed channel by a sponsor in November 2010 and over-delivering by every measurement.
In April 2011 Firebreather’s YouTube takeover received an AiMA award for Most Effective Use of Video.
