Online Advertising heads to the Big Screen

A new take for online advertising has seen Toshiba and Intel create a film, entitled "Inside", which enables viewers to contact the main character through social networking sites. The film promotes the Toshiba Satellite P775 laptop which comes complete with an IntelCore i7 processor. The plot revolves around Christina, played by Emmy Rossum, locked in a room with the laptop and an untraceable internet connection, with little else to confirm where or why she is being held captive. Members of the audience can log onto Facebook or Twitter to help Christina escape, posting messages, suggestions or questions to help the character find her way to freedom.

The film, due to air on the 25th July, also creates the opportunity for a member of the audience to become part of the film, with auditions being held on YouTube. The development of Social Film is embryonic, but Toshiba and Intel have enlisted a number of the film industry's leading lights to undertake the project, including director D.J. Caruso, and Oscar winning cinematographer Mauro Fiore.

Commenting on their involvement in the project, Ron Smith, Vice President of Marketing at Toshiba said "With ‘Inside,’ the goal was to provide our audience with a unique, engaging experience. We wanted to connect with a younger consumer audience through the social media channels and technologies they use most. Our hope is that viewers are enticed by the opportunities ‘Inside’ creates, giving them the possibility of seeing their name, comments and social identity included in a film that has the potential to alter the entertainment landscape.”

Corporations large and small have long since battled to get a decent footprint in the social media space. This latest advertising campaign is as intriguing as it is different. We'll be logging on next weekend to see if it can achieve where others have failed.

To find out more, go to www.theinsideexperience.com.

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