Ivanhoe Cambridge (IC), the property investment arm of the Quebec pension fund, tasked Syndctd with a pressing need to update their brand’s digital marketing strategy.
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Visual Content
Having the opportunity to work with a property as exquisite as the “Madison Resort” was very exciting. The home boasts a host of incredible architectural feats with uncompromised detail, premium craftsmanship, numerous customized features, and so much more. The project was focused on providing a digital selling tool for the property owner and management catered specifically to high-end buyers with an eye for unique architecture. It comprised of a video showcase of the property and a full website build with carefully curated copywriting. The process was relatively straightforward: create a short teaser video of the property, and upon watching the video potential buyers would be encouraged to inquire further via email. Once vetted by a professional real-estate team the potential buyer would be given private access to a website which would contain specific, highlighted details about the property.
The Video
Given the scale of the property and the immense amount of detail within every inch of its design, our biggest challenge was to be able narrate this within a short video. We partnered with the directors from Pentatonic Productions and the camera crew from Wild Rabbit to tackle this exciting, albeit challenging project. Wild Rabbit Aerial are predominantly known for their phenomenal aerial photography capabilities and coupled with Pentatonic’s new addition to the family (the Sony PMW-F5 Cinealta camera) the team was able to capture and produce some stunning results (see video above). This was Syndctd’s first foray into a production of this nature, and it was met head on with enthusiasm and tenacity.
The Equipment
Shot on the Sony PMW-F5 Cinealta camera in 16 bit 4K RAW, 120 frames per second with 14 stops of cinematic dynamic range. These cameras were used to capture the slow motion ultra high definition replays for this year’s super bowl on FOX. 4K offers the client the confidence of future proofed media as our media distribution world and televisions head towards ultra HD or 4K broadcast. 4K raw footage used 512gb of storage media in 65 mins of shooting. In camera compressed 4K or 2K would lower this data rate considerably.
Large capacity camera drone octocopter with custom-engineered three axis brushless camera gimbal produces stunningly stable imagery carrying the Sony F5. Wireless HD monitoring stations and long range FPV w/ on screen flight data allows the team to fly safely and achieve complicated shots before thought impossible. Average flight times running at 8-12 mins depending on flight conditions and camera movement.
The Website
To uphold the exclusivity of this property the website required a password for entry. Once inside a full-screen visually focused site captivates the viewer. There was a database of brilliant photos taken of the stunning property that brought the site to life. The aesthetic of the site was kept very simple in order to showcase the beautiful photographs.
The aerial footage produced is presented in two sections of the site. The Private Driving Range page highlights the snippet of the larger video that features Pro Golfer Pat Perez teeing off from the property’s range.
Viewers can get the fully immersive picture of the property by watching the Video Tour. To exhibit the footage at its highest quality, the video was embedded through Vimeo Pro and played in HD. The viewer could also expand the video to full-screen.
Working for this client and unique property was a great opportunity for Syndctd to expand and showcase its video content services. Through the video and site, we strived to show the audience the beauty of such an expansive home.
Syndctd was retained to help Rhea Footwear with their brand identity and creation of both photo and video content for web, social and EMS. We coordinated a brand discovery session to create the brand’s tone of voice and identify the keywords needed to describe the brand, its audience, and products’ emotional benefits.
Branding and Brand Discovery
Rhea – The Brand
Safety
Innovative
Compassionate
Premium
Rhea – Emotional Benefit
Security
Confidence
Peace of Mind
Hip & Trendy
Rhea - The Tagline
Designed With Your Sole in Mind
Rhea – The Audience
Prevention Minded
Concerned – Family Oriented
Active Lifestyle
Appreciates Fun / Technology
Video and Photo Treatment
Rhea is a family oriented shoe. We know that we can target young moms and dads who value safety for their children, their parents and for themselves. In the digital lookbook and video, we feature the active lifestyle of these families in their non-slip shoes.
In 2015, Syndctd worked with client Omega Oil, a fresh-from-the-lab cannabis company based out of Northern California, to build their brand from the bottom up.
TOUR SPONSORSHIP, ENDORSEMENT DEALS, 14+ CROSS-COUNTRY SITE ACTIVATIONS, BRANDED MIXTAPES / INTERVIEWS / PHOTOSHOOTS - ALL EXECUTED BY SYNDCTD.
Longstanding Syndctd client Arnette Eyewear wanted to engage in music to speak to their target demographic in a new way, and we felt the Mad Decent Block Party would be a perfect fit. We brokered a sponsorship deal between Arnette and Mad Decent, and from there went straight into strategizing how best to support the tour digitally. The demographic falls exactly within the active culture and lifestyle that Arnette has always embodied, and the Block Party felt like the perfect venue to get their brand in front of this audience. Together with Arnette, we came up with three huge digital activations surrounding their sponsorship as well as their brand presence on-site at 18 tour stops. We wanted to capitalize on their sponsorship of the tour in a way that would be as exciting as it was meaningful, so – with Red Bull in hand – we got to brainstorming.
Plus Arnette got amazing social content with one-on-one backstage interviews with, Dillon Francis, Flosstradamus, Waka Flocka Flame, TJR, Big Gigantic, STRFKR, Bunji Garlin + Jillionaire and Bro Safari to name a few. They can be seen here on Arnette's blog.
THE CAMPAIGN SERVICES
PHASE 1: PRE-TOUR
We knew we needed to send at least one person out on the road to capture content, represent the brand, work Arnette’s booth, and just generally be Arnette’s “boots on the ground” throughout the tour. We decided to open up this once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity to Arnette and Mad Decent fans and held a contest to pick who would be the two Mad Decent Block Party Ambassadors. We asked people to fill out a detailed application and create an Instagram video showing us how they “Create their Vision”, the tagline for Arnette’s newest campaign. We established an aesthetic for the varying initiatives of the summer and designed and developed the website, which worked across mobile, tablet, and desktop.
After vetting every candidate, we whittled the submissions down to ten, and interviewed the finalists via Skype. We then picked the final four and flew them out to Encinitas for a week of training at Arnette HQ. Candidates learned how to sell Arnette shades on-site, set up the tent and on-site event footprint, trained on video/photo equipment, came up with interview questions for artists, and gained an intimate understanding of Arnette’s culture, products, and history. After training, we picked the final two and sent ‘em off to the races. By this time we had orchestrated Arnette’s entire on-site activation area, including sourcing/managing vendors and coordinating production for activation materials like 18’ and 20’ inflatable sunglasses.
Throughout the tour, Block Party Ambassadors were responsible for interviewing artists at each stop, capturing video and photo content, selling shades, setting up the on-site event footprint, gathering email addresses, handing out promotional items, gifting artists with shades, facilitating an on-site contest, and generally presenting a public face for Arnette at the festival. They did an incredible job, and you can see some of the content they produced on Arnette’s blog.
PHASE 2: TOUR ACTIVATION, TICKET SWEEPSTAKES, AND #ARNETTEALLACCESS
After the Block Party Ambassadors were chosen and the tour began, two contests ran simultaneously. The first of those contests was a ticket sweepstakes that allowed entrants to enter to win two tickets to the Mad Decent Block Party closest to them, and Syndctd facilitated every aspect – from designing and building the entry form to fulfillment. The other contest ran on-site for attendees of the MDBP to participate in. To enter, people would snap a photo in front of the gigantic inflatable sunglasses and upload the photo to Instagram using the hashtag #ArnetteAllAccess. We would then inform those who won using Instagram, and they would then get to watch the headlining act of the day from an on-stage viewing area. Also happening at Arnette’s tent was the distribution of rally towels and 12” inflatable sunglasses in exchange for emails via an iPad signup.
CAMPAIGN INSIGHTS
We here at Syndctd would never build all this incredible content only to have it exist on its own. We built out and executed a multi-phase media plan that was rolled out over the course of the entire summer that included YouTube, Google Adwords, and Facebook Media and generated thousands of clicks and impressions. We handled everything from creative to buying to reporting on all paid media placed throughout the four-month period. We also handled e-blasts, delivering timely newsletters with Mad Decent-specific content to Arnette’s audience. Overall, the program was a resounding success. As for the numbers, we quadrupled the size of Arnette’s email database, they gained over 17,000 Facebook fans during that time period, and the website received nearly 6,500 unique pageviews. We created a branded experience that resonated with the audience and showed how deeply we cared to understand them, which is at the core of what we aspire to when we develop activation strategies for clients.
Haufe is one of the largest HR/talent management software providers in Europe. Their clients include premiere brands such as the BMW Group, Lindt Chocolates, and Goodyear Tires. Each of these global brands has thousands of employees, all of whom are being managed through Haufe’s software suite.
As Haufe’s expansion plans continue to develop, North America is a new frontier, filled with endless possibility as well as stiff competition.
Enter Syndctd. Syndctd was hired to help advise and execute Haufe’s entrance into the American market through helping to examine what has made Haufe successful in Europe and navigate how best to translate that success into North America. In summation, our service offering was essentially three large client services; consultancy surrounding the translation and building of a new Haufe.us website, creation of the new Haufe US introduction video, and the planning, building, management and execution of the Haufe US experience at the HR Tech Conference in Las Vegas.
THE WEBSITE
Syndctd designed the entire user experience (UX) for the Haufe.us website. Syndctd advised on which information from previous resources, sites and references should be displayed on the site, helped create the site structure, and then provided copywriting services to complete the site copy for the appropriate sections. The largest part of the UX service offering was page layout and wireframing, during which Syndctd helped strategize the most efficient way for potential customers to learn about Haufe’s unique and progressive approach to talent management.
THE VIDEO
Syndctd produced the commercial video in tandem with long-time video partner, Valentine Productions. Syndctd helped plan the shoot, hire the talent and production staff. develop the script, and act as the on-site producers. Check out the video below – it is also featured as the introduction video on the website.
THE EXPERIENCE
Syndctd designed the Trade Show experience for Haufe at the 2014 HR Tech Conference in Vegas, coordinating and managing their brand presence from top to bottom. This included sourcing vendors and designing the booth activation area as well as hiring and managing the brand ambassadors. Our efforts resulted in over 300 hot leads from customers looking to know more about Haufe’s Talent Management solution, which was considered a huge success by the President of Haufe US, Mr. Kelly Max, as well as top management at Haufe Europe. All in all, this was the most successful marketing activity that Haufe US has been a part of to date! See below for more information on our activation.
Team Syndctd was contracted to produce six original product videos for EXOS (formerly named Athletes' Performance) , which has grown to become a leader in proactive health and performance, trusted by elite athletes, the military, and innovative companies worldwide.
To produce these videos we conducted many elements of production:
- Hosted a studio production day focused on capturing perfectly lit product videos
- Wrote the script needed for Voice Over
- Discovered, hired and managed a Voice Over artist to complete our sound bites
- Searched for and contracted music that best fit our videos
- Designed 2D animations using Adobe Photoshop
- Edited animations to move and pulse using Adobe After Effects
After all the hard work from our team, we combined all of these pieces, made a few revisions and enjoyed our commercial!
Here are some of our designs and a final video!
To learn more, visit TeamEXOS.com