Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. ran a global HTML5 campaign on iPad to mark the release of the Avatar Extended Collector?s Edition on Blu-ray and DVD.

The company?s creative agency, ThinkJam, tapped MediaMind to work on the campaign. The advertising goes beyond any standard expandable ad unit that the industry may already be familiar with.

?The unique campaign gave Avatar fans a chance to preview exclusive clips and behind-the scenes footage,? said Keith Aylmore, creative sales engineer at MediaMind, New York.  

?The banner unit displayed six thumbnails of exclusive clips that could be dragged over the page content, resized and launched at full screen,? he said. 

The campaign for the Avatar Blu-ray DVD ran simultaneously on iPad and desktop Web in 15 markets around the world using the MediaMind platform.

MediaMind, formerly known as Eyeblaster, is a global provider of digital advertising services that optimize the use of media, creative and data for enhanced performance.

Twentieth Century Fox is a major American film studio. The studio is a subsidiary of News Corp.

Click here to watch the Avatar campaign demo on iPad.

Video like no other
Taking the cinematic experience to a multi-level experience, users can drag video thumbnails from various scenes from the film out ? including one behind the scenes exclusive ? of the messaging plus unit and turn it into a drag and resizable video panel.

A messaging plus unit is a display advertisement that sits within news stories.

Users had the freedom to select and choose what they want to watch in any preference that they want. For example, users could watch the videos in full-screen mode.

MediaMind claims this is the first campaign that allows users to pull up to three video players out of the main box.

The ad is a unique example of engaging and interacting with the user on his/her terms.

Consumers could click-to-buy the Blu-ray DVD on Amazon. Additionally they could click-to-buy a digital download as well.

Here is one of the promotional videos for the Avatar Extended Collector?s Edition on Blu-ray and DVD: 

Since the campaign ran on both Flash-supported devices as well as non-supported Flash devices, such as the iPad, MediaMind and ThinkJam knew they needed to create a campaign that would be an equaling rewarding experience for both iPad and non-iPad users.

MediaMind?s custom tags can easily determine if the ad is being displayed on an iPad and then display HTML5. Or, if the ad is being displayed in regular browser online users were served the Flash version.

/>A first on many levels
Users are the ones that get to select where they want to be transported back to by actively engaging and choosing the video of their choice. It is a first on many levels, including as an ad for the iPad.

The ad also ran online with Flash capabilities on sites such as UGO.com and Syfy.com.

?This is the first time such an advanced format has been developed in both Flash and in HTML5 for the iPad,? Mr. Aylmore said ?From an early stage we brainstormed a number of potential ideas with ThinkJam that would be an equally rewarding experience on both a desktop and the iPad.

?We encouraged early collaboration with creative agencies to push for more advanced executions like this,? he said.

Mobile game
Gameloft has created an Avatar game for the iPhone and iPad.

Players uncover an original story that takes place two decades prior to the film and learn how the first Avatar came to be.

Afterwards, players go on a journey of exploration, danger and adventure in an unimaginable world. They fight for survival in tense action sequences against ferocious beasts and carnivorous plants.

When the battle reaches its height, players can take to the skies of Pandora on a banshee in epic shoot'em-up sequences.

The point of the game is to join the Na'vi in their native village and help protect their world by accepting their mission: To fight against and conquer the human invaders.

Here is a video demo of the Avatar mobile game:
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Final take
An interview with Daniel Robey, managing director of ThinkJam, New York, on the recent Avatar Web and iPad campaign that ran simultaneously in 15 markets around the world using the MediaMind platform.

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