Objective:

The premiere season of The Amazing Race Canada anchored CTV’s 2013 summer schedule. The debut edition of the first ever Canadian version of the hit series was set to deliver record audiences. CTV.ca planned to deliver unprecedented access to the race for their viewers and Secret Location were called in to produce a digital experience to support the broadcast.

Working directly with TV producers Insight Productions, we conceived of and crafted the immersive video “Gamisodes” for each episode of the race and an interactive map that tracked the progress of the teams across all platforms. The original branded content package was tailored to top-tier sponsors, offering a high level of integration with the user experience.

The Amazing Race Canada is a unique digital experience as it grants fans an unprecedented level of access to show content, beyond the on-air episodes. The Gamisodes and Interactive Map allow Amazing Race audiences to explore the locations and challenges faced by the racers like never before.

Execution:

Secret Location sent a digital crew on the road with the race across Canada to capture the original footage for the ten 3-minute video “Gamisodes”. Each online episode features piece-to-camera introductions from host Jon Montgomery, unique POV style footage from the race course and a casual game experience which extended the thrill of the race online.

The custom mini games are embedded within the weekly Gamisodes and allow fans to compete in online versions of challenges the teams tackle on the show. Presenting sponsor Chevrolet is integrated in the Gamisodes through POV driving footage, which forms a natural part of the narrative, as well as branded interface elements and messaging.

By successfully completing the game the audience unlocks exclusive Amazing Race Canada preview clips of the next on-air episode. A reward system was also implemented, encouraging users to share their Gamisode scores to Facebook to earn a time bonus. By connecting with Facebook, fans can compete against their friends on the leaderboard.

The second component of the digital experience, the Interactive Map, gives the audience access to view snapshots of the teams’ progress and retrace their steps across the Canadian landscape. The agency utilized the Bing Maps API to present realistic mapping images, stylized to reflect the racers’ path and the points of interest on their route.

Results:

The Amazing Race Canada is an example of high-level integration of on-air content with digital extensions. The experience provides truly unique and rewarding engagement for users, comprising custom content, interactivity, games and social integration – each piece linked to the weekly episodes of the show. The experience seamlessly integrates branded content and brings together the interactive pieces with the broadcaster’s suite of supporting content in one dedicated hub for users. Since launch the Gamisodes have been played over 50,000 times with users spending an average of 2.4 minutes on the site to unlock the bonus clips.

Over the season the experience generated:

• Over 100,000 Visits
• Over 80,000 Unique Visitors
• Over 200,000 Page Views