One Ocean: Deep into Cross-Platform Storytelling
In spreading a message of environmental conservation, you can leverage powerful online interactive technology to captivate an audience, encourage action, and expand overall brand presence.
The CBC’s much anticipated One Ocean HD documentary series—produced by Winnipeg’s Merit Motion Pictures and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) for The Nature of Things—accomplishes all of these things with an interactive website developed by Tactica. One Ocean Interactive is rich with multiple forms of digital media: video, audio, tools, and games all integrated with today’s most popular social media sites.
This project was supported by the Canadian Television Fund, Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund and the Government of Manitoba through the
Manitoba Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit — a fantastic learning experience in transmedia funding for Tactica.
Tactica helped One Ocean to:
- Dramatically increase brand engagement
- Open up new licensing opportunities
- Promote the television series
- Drive traffic to broadcaster websites
- Increase DVD sales
- Inform people of the global issues facing the ocean
- Challenge and empower people to affect positive change through social media
Project Goals
- To help One Ocean Interactive become Canada’s primary educational resource for ocean awareness
- To inform, inspire and challenge people to spread the message of ocean conservation and take action to affect positive change
- To develop a transmedia strategy, helping the One Ocean message converge on multiple platforms including web, television, DVD, mobile, email, and printed educational resources
Features and Technology
Through collaborations with the CBC and Merit Motion Pictures, Tactica designed, animated, and developed a number of interactive features, bringing the beauty and majesty of our ocean to an online audience. The One Ocean website leverages powerful interactive platforms including Google Earth, the Unity 3D game engine, and integration with social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr.
The Biosphere
This 3D undersea world dramatically increases brand engagement by tapping into the popularity of fun and educational casual games that integrate with Facebook.
Ocean Explorer
These interactive guided tours harness Google Earth’s satellite and sonar image technology. The One Ocean Explorer is receiving worldwide exposure through inclusion in National Geographic, The BBC, and World Wildlife Federation ocean initiatives. Social media and contests were also integrated to help promote One Ocean.
The Time Machine
This educational tool takes users on an interactive journey through the history of the ocean and its exploration. Rich 3D renderings, video, and textual content helps users to discover and appreciate the complexity of the ocean and importance of protecting it.
The One Ocean Pledge
This tool encourages users to take action in their daily lives for ocean sustainability. Facebook integration, commenting functions, and partnerships with the Canadian Wildlife Federation, David Suzuki Foundation, and Living Ocean Society allow the One Ocean message to spread virally.
Additional Features:
- Full episode video streaming
- Behind the scenes text and video content from directors and production staff
- Web content developed and integrated with educational resources including DVDs and cross-curricular classroom-ready resources
- Podcast and webisode subscriptions
- Animal biographies, video, photos, and migration routes
- Meet the Experts – biographies, video, and photos of the One Ocean experts
- A Blog, to be managed by Sarika Suzuki
- Free Downloads of One Ocean wallpaper and screen-savers
- E-Commerce / Online Store directing users to the CBC website to purchase video, DVD and educational resources
Awards & Recognition
2010 Gemini Awards Nominee – Best Cross-Platform Project – Non-fiction
2010 Wildscreen Festival Panda Award Nominee – Arkive New Media Award
2010 New Media Award – Best in Industry Award for Television – Education and Science
