Microsoft and the agency brought a whole new meaning to immersive story-telling which was not only beautiful and on par with a traditional film but showcased the stunning visual experiences possible through Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) and HTML 5.

The web browser audience demands relevant and engaging content from curators they can relate to, so we devised an all-star creative team that included Edgar Wright and Tommy Lee Edwards. The only stipulation to a very ‘open’ brief was the community to be at the heart of curation. The Random adventures of Brandon Generator was born.

The creation of the world’s first socially-sourced animated graphic web series drove positive shifts in perception of IE9 as an innovative brand, and the likelihood to use it over competitors - plus critical acclaim from the likes of Steven Spielberg and Simon Pegg.

A unique website experience was created, accessible across multiple devices (PC & mobile), and exclusively in HTML5. Central to this experience was the chance for people to contribute to the story, the characters and the artwork as Brandon's Random Adventures unfolded. Chapters 2-4 included content provided by the public – from voice-overs to words and images and the opportunity to be animated as Brandon’s girlfriend.

PR was at the core of the campaign, with an initial launch teaser, followed by a huge influencer engagement and content seeding campaign, media briefings and even an exclusive event that played, for the first time, all four episodes, including the final instalment.

Paid and digital media tactics were also used to help amplify the campaign, with digital seeding, search, TV and outdoor advertising and social community management all being key to help bring the Brandon campaign to life.

Exposure to the Brandon Generator campaign led to positive shifts across all IE metrics, including +68% for “innovative browser”, +48% for “best browser for my favourite sites”, an increase in favorability, +32% and a likelihood to recommend Internet Explorer 9, +35%.

The campaign also generated 202 pieces of positively branded coverage including BBC Radio 2, The Daily Telegraph and Shortlist, whilst 99% of all coverage was positive in message tone.

Other engagement stats are as follows:

- 600,000+ unique visitors to the site

- 10,000+ crowd-sourced entries

- 62.3 million Tweet Reach (Brandon Generator mentions and #BrandonGenerator)

- 308,000+ Brandon Generator views on YouTube

- 2,000+ new likes on IE9 Facebook page

- 7,000 mentions of Brandon Generator across social channels

- Uplift of 215% in online buzz during Attack the Block TV takeover

- Tweets and retweets were seen from - Jonathon Ross, Simon Pegg, Steven Spielberg