Samsung and video-sharing platform Vimeo have partnered to create a film series centered around the theme of communication to connect with consumers through a storytelling approach on social media. 

The film series Connected, viewed on Vimeo channels and a dedicated Tumblr page, aims to draw viewers in with narrative and storytelling content related to technology, a subject which is integrated with consumers? everyday lives. The campaign taps a variety of filmmakers, handpicked by Vimeo staff members, to draw in fans of the filmmakers as well as create a genuine and quality narrative content. 

Vimeo is platform that operates similar to YouTube in which users can upload and share videos, but a focus on high-quality content and without the dreaded ads. Instead the platform partners with brands as sponsors. 

"Mobile and social media served as the starting point for all of the films in this series," said Jeff Hurlow, head of brand partnerships at Vimeo. "In our early collaboration with Samsung and their agency Edelman, we focused on the idea of us all being in a time where there seems to be little to no separation between ourselves and our network. 

"Not only are we always connected, but we literally carry the entire wealth of human experience in our pockets," he said. "That possibility made for an interesting jumping off point for the talented directors of Vimeo.

"The goal for the film series is to enter into a dialog about our connection to technology and innovation," he said. "We wanted to engage filmmakers from various disciplines to see how they would respond to the brief, and what being connected at this moment in time meant to them." 

Connecting consumers
Connected consists of a series of 10 short films, five of which were released on June 17, with the others rolling out through out the summer. The content features various filmmakers and their interpretation of the consumer relationship to technology. 

Every filmmaker put his own take on the subject, with various films spanning all genres, there is a piece for every viewer to enjoy. This wide range of content draws in a wide range of consumers.

The dedicated page on Tumblr, along with buttons to share the content through various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, creates an extensive reach for the brand and content. 

This campaign coincides with Vimeo?s release of the update to its editing application, Cameo, in which users can edit video content through their mobile devices. The update launched June 18.  

Vimeo has acquired over 35 million users with an audience of over 160 million viewers. Its content can be shared and embedded across all social platforms including Facebook and Twitter. 

Mobile boasts over half of traffic for the video sharing Web site, through its mobile app and mobile site.  The service updated its mobile site last year to de-clutter the user experience, as it receives more traffic through its mobile site than its app. 

The pull of storytelling
Storytelling and narrative content pulls in consumers on a more personal level and keeps them tuned in. 

An analyst from Forrester Research at the company's Forum for Marketing Leaders stressed the importance of storytelling in mobile content and described key methods for success, including for business-to-business brands (see more). 

Recently, Vulcan Productions undertook a similar venture in its partnership with short-film producer and distributor Cinelan to unlock the potential of mobile with its We The Economy film series, which reached millions of viewers through a mobile-first strategy, including an application where the films are viewable in their entirety (see more). 

"On one end of the spectrum, we have :: kogonada?s Elemental an abstract piece that takes us through the entirety of humankind?s attempts to communicate with each other, to Oh Yeah Wow?s Gary & Gabe, coming soon, with its fantastical love story between a girl and her pet monster," Mr. Hurlow said. 

"This was an interesting program for Vimeo in that the main campaign lives on Tumblr," he said. "This decision was early on in the project, so the intentions were that these would always be intricately tied to the mobile and social experience.

"On the Vimeo side, the individual films live on each filmmaker?s page. All of these filmmakers have significant followings, and we like to see content organically reach their networks on the merits of their creativity."

Final take
Brielle Jaekel is editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer