Task: Demonstrate the cross-service capabilities and interactivity of YouTube and, for consumers, showcase the speed of Chrome.
Execution: Google has created a Flash-based game that takes you on a journey across the internet via a YouTube video. By setting various challenges that have to be completed to progress the video, Google is able to demonstrate the capabilities of YouTube and the underlying speed of the browser.
Credits: In-house.
Why I like this: Google takes the user on a journey, drawing them in with questions that have to be answered to progress.
The questions span interaction with Maps, Twitter, Translate, LastFM and Search analytics. To the majority of users, this will simply be a fun game. You might play it again to see if you can better your score, but it is firmly aimed at people in our industry.
Straight away, it gets you thinking more creatively from a technical standpoint as to how one can build on the tools it has demonstrated. I had no idea YouTube had such a variety of elements but already my teams are incorporating them in their client campaigns.
Wish I'd thought of: Not just a video, but an interactive experience. But I wish it had more longevity. This could have been achieved by adding a series of alternative questions to each part, making it different each time one plays. But it serves YouTube well and has been promoted on various sites, so much so that finding the original, official video is difficult. This suggests it has been a success.