Back from the neverending May campaigns and from a week off in Southern France, I feel I have so much to (re)cover. I'll do my best to write about the great interactive projects that have gone online around the Web during the last month or so. So forgive me if a few things won't be as new and fresh as usual, but remember Adverblog's motto is "showcase the best, and forget the rest", so if there is something worth remembering, I'll post it!

The first project is quite new, and you still 7 days to join the first virtual balloon race on the Internet ever. It's an idea by Poke for Orange.

It sounds very innovative, but also quite hard to explain, so I quote NMA to explain you what is about: "The technically complex project is a bid to engage with online audiences through blogs and social media. The race will promote Orange's mobile tariffs by inviting users to tag a balloon shaped like its dolphin, panther, canary and racoon brands. The race launches in three weeks and entrants will be able to track and control their balloon as it travels across the web. Each site equals one internet mile and the user with the most miles at the end of seven days wins. Players can also get bonus prizes and energy boosts for their balloons".

The blogosphere and social media in general play a key role in the race. The more buzz around his balloon a person is able to generate the more miles the balloon will race, raising the chances to win the final prize.

Also, site owners can submit their site to become part of the race and be visited by one of the thousands balloons that soon will be flying over the Web.

Do you think everything is a bit complicated? I agree... but let's wait a few days, I believe that as soon as the race starts the idea will become much clearer! :-)

MMMMM a fist hey? This has been done before:

http://www.nickgoward.lincoln.ac.uk/balloonrace/

Although I guess he may be working for the agency??

Posted by: Paul_T at June 16, 2008 02:04 PM

Orange are getting away with the 'worlds first' claim because it's a race across the internet ie. across many sites...that other website is just a virtual balloon race on a single page.

Personally I think it's quite cool...

Posted by: See_M at June 17, 2008 12:28 PM

The execution is very well done though it's a game of patience and who in this day and age has that much time??

Posted by: Dia at June 25, 2008 05:10 PM