Studio Black Tomato, the content creation agency owned by the Black Tomato Travel Group, announces the launch of new interactive video service, Blackwire.
Leading the way within the luxury lifestyle and travel sphere, Studio Black Tomato’s latest launch, BLACKWIRE, is the product of an exceptional content creator joining forces with the owner of the leading interactive video technology in the world, WIREWAX.
The BLACKWIRE platform takes Studio Black Tomato’s renowned expertise for shooting and bringing destinations to life, and the incredible properties and experiences within them, and combines it with WIREWAX’s leading interactive video technology. The result is an incredible content offering where viewers can uncover details beyond the content they see. It means they can discover more about destinations and actually book experiences within the video they are watching, without having to leave the video player.
The live interaction that BLACKWIRE offers not only brings brands to life, but is proven to double dwell time and produce more memorable long-term results than the short-term benefits associated with a traditional video.
How does it work?
Where Studio Black Tomato bring strategic creative thought to their award-winning content, with a wealth of expertise and global knowledge underpinning everything they do – WIREWAX lead in tech innovation, using advanced computer vision and artificial intelligence to add a high level of interaction that elevates each viewers experience.
BLACKWIRE seamlessly integrates calls to action and hotspots within videos that viewers can touch, click or interact with; from switching camera views and uncovering real-time insights to allowing audiences to determine the video’s path and outcome. BLACKWIRE grants brands a more subtle, authentic marketing approach. It enriches content and ignites interest, rather than trying to control the user’s experience.
Tom Marchant, co-founder of the Black Tomato Group says “Our Studio team has always been passionate about creating compelling content that connects clients with their audiences, and our relationship with WIREWAX and the subsequent launch of BLACKWIRE allows us to take this further.
The immediacy of interaction opens up incredible opportunity and there are hugely powerful benefits here for our clients and their consumers”.
With BLACKWIRE’S capabilities of geo-intelligence and live pricing, in the travel space, for example, audiences can simply hover their cursor over a hidden hotspot and discover live weather data on a destination, prices and hotel availability, as well as uncovering behind the scenes details. Audiences have the chance to connect with destinations before they even book – and when they do, they encounter a cutting-edge service which allows you to organise your entire holiday within a single video frame.
“This is the promised land of authentic brand content integration. We’re in a time when viewers have come to expect to touch every screen they use and this new partnership with WIREWAX & Studio Black Tomato truly maps the landscape for how brands can monetize in meaningful, creative and experiential ways with their consumers.” says Dan Garraway, co-founder of WIREWAX
Watch this space
A long-standing client of Studio Black Tomato, Explore Charleston, known for producing inspirational content and award-winning marketing initiatives to promote their destination, have seized the opportunity to again demonstrate themselves as leaders in tourism, adopting BLACKWIRE as part of their 2018 video campaign.
“Charleston is a place that blends history and forward-thinking. It is as much a place to pioneer, as it is rich with tradition and history, so to include ground-breaking interactive features while we tell the stories of the people who embody the spirit of Charleston feels very apt” says Catherine Dority from Explore Charleston.
“We’re incredibly excited to offer content that not only inspires people to travel to this wonderful place, but that also gives consumers the ability to immediately engage further or instantly book the services profiled.”
It’s widely considered that video is on a trajectory to make up the majority of all web traffic by 2021; far from being a differentiator, video has become a marketing necessity. Studio Black Tomato recognises its power as a medium, but also understands the need to lead with innovation. BLACKWIRE’s advanced capabilities will set our luxury lifestyle and travel clients apart by transforming the experience they give their audiences within truly exceptional content.