Tag: Stinkdigital

Honda – The Other Side

Car brands are always trying to show that their cars have different sides to their personalities, sporty vs reliable, safe vs cool, etc. What makes Honda’s latest effort unique is its YouTube video. By simply holding down the “R” key on the keyboard, the viewer can instantly switch between two different videos.

To execute this innovation, Wieden & Kennedy London had to create two storylines, one of an easygoing Dad doing the school run and the second as an undercover cop posing as a getaway driver. Both of which were then expertly mirrored with contrasting style and tone. The interactive experience was then put together by Stinkdigital at Honda’s YouTube Channel.

Why the mechanic matters more than the novelty

The “hold R to switch” idea is a simple interaction, but it changes how you watch. You are not just viewing a story. You are actively comparing two versions of the same moment, in real time.

  • One scene, two meanings. The mirrored structure makes contrast instantly legible.
  • Viewer control. You control the cut, which increases attention and repeat viewing.
  • Storytelling as product proof. Different “sides” of a car become a narrative device, not a claim.

Execution discipline: mirrored scenes, opposite tone

This only worked because the two storylines were designed to align. Timing, framing, and beats had to match so the switch felt seamless, not like two unrelated edits.

The payoff is that contrast becomes the hero. Calm family routine vs high-pressure escape. The same underlying vehicle context. Two different emotional reads.

What to take from this if you build interactive brand content

  1. Make the interaction explain itself. If the mechanic needs instructions, you lose momentum.
  2. Design for replay. The best interactive films reward going back and re-watching with intent.
  3. Let structure carry the message. When the format proves the point, you do not need heavy-handed copy.
  4. Keep the tech invisible. Viewers remember the feeling of control and contrast, not the implementation details.

A few fast answers before you act

What is Honda “The Other Side”?

It is an interactive film experience where viewers can switch between two parallel storylines by holding down the “R” key.

What are the two storylines?

One follows an easygoing Dad doing the school run. The other follows an undercover cop posing as a getaway driver, with both narratives mirrored scene-by-scene.

Why is the “hold R to switch” mechanic effective?

It gives the viewer control and makes the contrast immediate. That active comparison increases attention, engagement, and replays.

Who created the work?

Wieden & Kennedy London created the two mirrored storylines, and Stinkdigital put the interactive experience together on Honda’s YouTube Channel.

What is the transferable lesson for digital teams?

If you can express your message through an interaction that is instantly understandable, the format itself becomes the persuasion.

Red Stripe Musical Extravaganza

Red Stripe, a Jamaican lager brand, transforms an ordinary-looking East London corner shop into a singing, dancing musical extravaganza. Products across the shop turn into instruments that burst into a melody when a customer selects a Red Stripe. Noodle pots become maracas. Bottles turn into trumpets. Cans become xylophones.

To capture the surprise, 10 hidden cameras record customer reactions as the shop “comes alive.”

The shop becomes the media

This is not a poster on a wall. It is the environment itself performing. The moment of selection triggers the show. The shelf becomes the stage.

That shift matters because it makes the brand moment inseparable from the act of buying. It is shopper marketing that feels like entertainment, not persuasion.

The trigger is the product choice

The smartest part is the mechanic. Nothing happens until the customer chooses the product. That makes the experience feel personalised, even though it is engineered.

It also makes the story instantly explainable. “When you pick up a Red Stripe, the shop turns into a band.”

Why hidden cameras make the idea travel

The in-store performance is powerful, but it is local. The video is what scales it. Real reactions signal authenticity, and the format becomes shareable proof that the stunt actually happens.

What to steal

  • Make the point-of-sale moment the trigger, not the end of the journey.
  • Convert ordinary objects into a surprising behaviour, so the setting becomes memorable.
  • Capture genuine reactions, then let the video do the distribution work.

A few fast answers before you act

What happens in the Red Stripe Musical Extravaganza?

An East London corner shop turns into a musical performance. Shop items become instruments that play when a customer selects a Red Stripe.

What turns into instruments?

Noodle pots become maracas. Bottles become trumpets. Cans become xylophones.

How is it captured?

Ten hidden cameras record customer reactions.

What is the core mechanic that makes it work?

The product selection triggers the performance, so the “brand moment” happens at the exact point of purchase.