Six Second Storytelling by SXSW

Six Second Storytelling was a challenge by SXSW to cram the plot of a classic novella such as Dracula into a six second film clip. Via DesignTaxi:

The advertising landscape is quickly changing. Traditional marketing just doesn’t cut it anymore in this digital age. Brands are hastily thinking up new ways to cut through the noise and grab viewers’ attention in an increasingly competitive arena.

Earlier this year, you saw ads masked as short films including HP’s Wolf and the ‘Grow Up’ series by Mercedes-Benz. Now YouTube has turned to an entirely new ad format in a bid to prove to brands: it can deliver persuasive sales pitches in bite-sized form.

It’s partnered with renowned ad agencies such as J. Walter Thompson, Wieden+Kennedy and Deutsch to promote this brief pre-roll ad format.

The campaign, ‘Six Second Storytelling’, was initially a part of a challenge hosted at SXSW and involves cramming classic novella into six-second footage.

Some of the literature referenced included Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, Herman Melville’s Moby Dick and Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. The creative geniuses behind the ads didn’t forget to add modern twists to the cherished stories.

A classic example would have to be Wieden+Kennedy’s portrayal of Dracula. Titled ‘No Pics No Proof: A Dracula Story’, ‘Dracula’ is seen towards the end of the video spamming selfies with his new kill.

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