Fuel is sending its followers on a creative treasure hunt with its latest piece of self-promo.
The Ottawa-based agency just launched a new Instagram account to showcase its portfolio of client work. The initiative gamifies the platform, turning Fuel’s profile into a gridded wall of posts that form a pin ball board. By tapping tagged posts, users can discover six other “hidden” accounts that house case study videos for clients like Disney, Microsoft and McDonald’s.
Fuel’s creative strategy director, Sean MacPhedran, said the agency was inspired by the Instagram account for the Adult Swim television show Rick and Morty. Last summer, Rick and Morty turned its Instagram into a similar treasure hunt game that provided fans a trove of content between seasons.
MacPhedran said he liked how it offered an interactive experience on Instagram, rather than the typical static posts. Rather than use Instagram to show off Fuel’s corporate culture, as many others in the agency world do, MacPhaedran said Fuel decided to use the platform as a showcase of its creativity.
“What we try to do for clients is create brand experiences that trigger the desire for play, for interactivity that audiences have, and tap into that need for exploration and reward,” said Nick Iannitti, the agency’s director of communications. “We try to make every brand experience through a little bit of play, and we think this fits that philosophy.”
Many of Fuel’s clients have expressed interest in Instagram, but are still new to the platform, according to Iannitti. The idea behind the Instagram portfolio, he said, was to show clients what’s possible on Instagram, and how they can use it to be playful and creative.
Most of the 15-second case studies housed in the Instagram portfolio are also available in full on Fuel’s site.
As marketers invest more in their Instagram presence, Iannitti said he expects to see more creative that plays with the platform’s functionality and makes it more interactive.
In the U.S., Chick-fil-A created an interactive menu on Instagram that let’s consumers explore each item and learn about how it’s made. Dominos also created a game on Instagram last month inspired by pizza delivery. And in Canada, the Toronto Silent Film Festival created a silent choose-your-own-adventure film on the platform.
