Overview: The objective of Viking Quest is to showcase the team's ongoing journey throughout the season in a creative, artistic and eye-catching way. Last season, we used Vine and our Vinekings account to create 6-second videos to preview each game. However, with the exodus of Vine this year, we decided to turn to a multi-platform strategy with Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Over the last year, these channels have shifted their focus to strong video content, so the shift in channel algorithms became the perfect storm. This year, our goal was to make videos so interesting and detailed that fans watch them a few times just to catch all of the hidden "Easter eggs" within the storyline. Each week, fans can follow along on whichever channels they choose. The scene usually depicts a miniature Viktor the Viking figurine as he playfully pokes fun at our weekly opponents.
Strategy 1:Find a uniquely creative artist to be our partner
We couldn't tackle this project alone. This season, we continued our exclusive partnership with artist and animator Ian Padgham in order to bring this concept to life. Our fans were familiar with his work from our Vinekings content, and we trusted his style and creative vision.
"Brands often make the mistake of going for one-hit wonders, looking for a viral moment. But what we've done this year is something fresh, thoughtful and hugely ambitious. By turning each game into an episode of a full, coherent season, we are pushing into new boundaries of content creation (and having a blast)." - Ian Padgham
Strategy 2:Leave our fans wanting more (without disappointing them)
Much like in a good novel or your favorite television series, a cliffhanger always leaves its audience hungry for more. When it comes to Viking Quest, the cliffhanger each week is a key component of encouraging fans to come back for the next mini-episode of the series. Each weekly video splices together seamlessly into one season-long story that fans will be able to watch in totality when the season concludes. Every week, the social media team works directly with Ian to develop creative storylines and clever vignettes. Fans can usually find at least one or two inside jokes within the video.
Results: Results: The #VikingQuest videos have received 1,897,983 total organic views across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram combined to-date with no paid amplification support. The average views per video are as follows:
Facebook: 94,784 views per video
Twitter: 24,598 views per video
Instagram: 7,150 views per video
Episode 1" New Orleans Saints
Episode 2: Pittsburgh Steelers
Episode 3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Episode 4: Detroit Lions
Episode 5: Green Bay Packers
Episode 6: Baltimore Ravens
Episode 7: Chicago Bears
Episode 8: Cleveland Browns (London Edition)
Episode 9: Bye Week
Episode 10: Washington Redskins
Episode 11: Los Angeles Rams
Episode 12: Detroit Lions
