If American dairy farmers had this sort of interactive campaign instead of tiresome "Got Milk" ads, we might not be obsessing about osteoporosis. Swedish milk producer Milko AB has planted a full-blown A/V mixer online, inviting users to cast its trademark mountain cow in self-made music videos they can post or trade.
The goofy cartoon cow is a hilarious hit in Sweden. (Imagine your 55-year-old Uncle Phil dropping Ecstasy and struggling to look hip as a disco god.) The design also understands that Web users don't just want to see cleverness, they want to make it.
In fact, the inspired notion of swapping dancing cow videos works because the mixer itself is a model of complex technology made usable. Visiting DJs are invited to choose among musical genres, then point and click the cow's moves and tunes (even his moos) onto a timeline structure. Every click is funny, the functionality is visually self-evident and the onscreen results are immediate and gratifying. "Actually getting your audience to interact with the brand and create something of their very own is taking identity to an innovative level," juror Dave Fletcher said.