It only seems 5 minutes ago that Vine was launched (actually, January 2013), and yet brands have made it their own in a way that makes adoption of other social media channels seem positively sluggish. Vine’s short 6-second loop video format makes it easy for companies to film, upload and share videos to social media – and to ask fans to do the same. Videos range from the amateur to the decidedly expensive-looking, although the beauty of Vine is that any smartphone will let you test out your creativity.
According to The 7th Chamber, 5 tweets per second contain a Vine link, and studies are showing that a branded Vine is four times more likely to be seen than a branded video; any brand not on board with Vine risks losing out on some serious social media exposure.
Some brands have been particularly innovative when it comes to their Vine output – let’s take a look at some of the best uses of Vine’s viral appeal.
1. Dunkin’ Donuts
In September 2013 Vine made the jump from social media to television as Dunkin’ Donuts aired the first ever TV ad made completely from Vine during Monday Night Countdown, the pre-game show to Monday Night Football on ESPN.
BrandChannel.com reports that four Vine videos will run during ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown throughout the 16-game season on the network’s “billboard” ad unit, a full-screen, five-second spot that airs between segments on the network. Each Vine billboard ad will promote the upcoming #DunkinReplay Vine during Monday Night Football, where a team from Dunkin’ and agency partner Hill Holliday re-create a marquee play from the first half of the game each week using Dunkin’ Donuts menu items.
Over the past few weeks, Dunkin’ Donuts’ hot and iced coffees, plus lattes, have all starred as “players” in the Vines, which are created on a detailed football “set” complete with yard lines, team names in the end zone and goal posts made out of the brand’s orange and pink straws. The Vines have also been shared on Twitter as a way for Dunkin’ Donuts to enter the social conversation stream about Monday Night Football, cleverly tying up their online and offline presence.
According to Dunkin Donuts, each #DunkinReplay Vine delivers as many impressions as a comparable TV spot (at significantly less cost).
2. Air bnb
This year’s Sundance Festival saw the premiere of the first short (4 minute) film made entirely of Vines. Created by alternative travel company Airbnb as a television commercial, the film shows the journey of a single piece of paper travelling the world, finding love, and inspiring others. It is spliced together from multiple 6-second videos, some created by its users from instructions given out on Twitter. The result is a beautiful, inspirational animation that captures the heart of the travel company’s ethos.
3. Samsung
Samsung is a brand that has been tapping into the Vine’s potential very early. They have released some masterful videos making the most of the stop-motion format. In this stunning video, an animated basketball player leaps across different phones to shoot hoops.
4. Target
Target is an enthusiastic adopter of Vine, releasing an impressive output of videos themed around events and promotions, all created from items found in its stores. In this fall-inspired Vine, a corn cob opens to reveal the surprise candy corn filling… mmmmmm.
5. Oreos
As part of its new “Wonderfilled” campaign, Oreo plans to bring joy to people’s everyday lives. In May, the cookie company staged flashmobs across New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles with large groups of college a cappella singers to cheer commuters with renditions of the “Wonderfilled” theme tune. The flashmobs in New York City culminated with a huge singalong with Owl City in Union square – and the whole event was captured on Vine and shared on Twitter so fans could be part of the action.
6. Trident
You may not have heard of Nicholas Megalis and Rudy Mancuso, but they are two of the most popular users on Vine – and as such are big stars in the world of social media. In September, Trident gum helped them cross over into the bigger-screen domain of television with their first TV ad. Trident had worked with Megalis and Mancuso to create four different Vine videos for the brands’ “Paid in Layers” campaign, and the most popular with users was chosen for the 6-second TV ad slot.
Some Do’s and Don’t’s on Vine
Do remember it’s only 6 seconds…
… so don’t try to cram too much in!
Do make use of stop-motion for some cool effects.
Don’t forget to use hashtags so others can find your video.
Do involve your fans – Vine is great for collaboration and interaction.
Don’t post it until you’re happy, it’s too late for edits once it’s out there.
Do share it as widely as possible – Vine is meant for sharing!
Originally posted in Fast Company