I just spent the last 30 minutes watching Happy, the first 24 hour music video by Pharrell Williams, and the most innovative online marketing project I've ever seen.The video plays the same song on repeat for 24 hours with different characters dancing down various streets and buildings in Los Angeles. The video plays at the time of day of the viewer.

This site blew me away for ten reasons:

1. It's simpleBy implementing a basic video concept, but extended one variable – time, the creators delivered a result never seen before.
2. It's funI'm pretty sure all of the dancers were friends of the creators. It's like having a huge party and inviting all of your friends, except they get to star in your video. I can just imagine Pharrell and all the guys at We Are From LA calling up everyone they knew to participate. I saw a lot of dancers in the credits with the last name "Williams," so I'm guessing it was a family and friends affair.
3. You listen to the song on repeatThis is brilliant. The nature of the website encourages users to explore segments at different time intervals. It's an afterthought that you're listening to the same song on repeat. Getting an audience to listen to a song over and over again without even realizing it seems like a recipe for a hit.
4. It's web-specificRemember when watching video required a television? No more! You have to be online to fully experience the video's interactivity. 
5. The design is stunningThe overlay of controls is like Tony Stark's suit in Iron Man, or other science fiction movies depicting interfaces of the future. It's exciting to see designers experimenting with these concepts inspired by the film industry. This cross pollination helps push the envelope in user interface design.
6. It capitalizes on the mediumTurning the entire screen into an interactive time portal allows the viewer to interact in a way that is captivates the imagination. This could not exist on a TV set. It can only exist online. 
7. It's originalI would not be surprised to see 24 hour videos becoming a trend after this successful debut, with more than 1 million views in one day.
8. It's approachableThe "reality tv" style approach using every day people makes it feel honest. If you watch it long enough, you may recognize someone you know.
9. The song grooves!We would expect nothing less from Grammy winning producer Pharrell Williams.
10. It's addictiveThere's a sense of adventure as a viewer. It feels unpredictable. Characters interact with their surroundings and you're not quite sure what will happen next. It's like digging for treasure. For those who look hard, you can find cameos of a few movie stars including Kelly Osbourne and Jimmy Kimmel. 

So how does this tie in to what we do here?

The internet is a vast array of experiments, with failures and successes redefining how we share information. The most noteworthy thing about this project is that they chose to target the web only. This choice supports advice I've given our clients for years: the internet is quickly becoming the first and most important place people interact with your company. Your ability to leverage that medium effectively will determine the success of your business.

This video shows us that there is much to discover in the space of interactive marketing. It's an exciting time to be working online!

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