On 4/1 NYTimes.com ran a home page takeover for the premiere of A&E’s new original docu-series “Fugitive Chronicles” that will be their most comprehensive effort to date. The fully integrated video unit, created by The Visionaire Group (TVG) and secured by Horizon Media, showcases a fugitive, in hot pursuit by the police, who jumps across the page touching every ad unit, including crossing over the prized search bar real estate, to announce the series’ premiere that evening at 10PM. Although NYTimes.com has had cooperative video ads on its homepage before, this marks the first time video has been integrated across all of its ad units and the search bar.
Through its partnership with TVG and Horizon Media, A&E sought a way to introduce their new series that tied in perfectly with the network’s branding of “Real Life. Drama.” Lori Peterzell, VP, Consumer Marketing for A&E Network, says, “We want to create ads that break through the clutter and capture our viewers’ attention. This innovative takeover gives viewers a real sense of what they will experience watching it on A&E.”
“Fugitive Chronicles” is A&E’s original docu-drama series that cinematically brings to life the most compelling fugitive captures in recent history. Through gritty reconstructions, archival footage, fugitive narrative recreated from real testimony and exclusive taped interviews with law enforcement officials, each one-hour episode dramatically brings each infamous manhunt to life.
The home page takeover, executed by LA digital shop TVG, involved an intricate three-tier production process of shooting ad-specific green screen elements, character compositing and Flash animation/integration. The shoot required precise planning to ensure that the footage would work within the parameters of the multiple ad units.
Dimitry Ioffe, CEO and co-founder of TVG, says, “We feel this is the absolute best way to utilize video in the digital ad space and believe this type of creative execution is the future of not only web advertising, but print ads on tablets like the iPad.”
