Combining original scripted content with user generated content from several different platforms (Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Google+) created challenges to obtaining permissions, intellectual property rights and implied endorsement. There was a great deal of back end management and coordination needed to fully realize the concept. Ultimately, the non-traditional space occupied by The Vanishing Game created opportunity to set precedents.

The Vanishing Game brings an original story by International best-seller William Boyd to life in an 8-chapter digital mash-up of literature, film, design and social storytelling. Hosted on Tumblr, it brought real Land Rover owners into Boyd’s adventure by having relevant keywords pull curated true stories and photos into the experience. Almost every component was shareable, and every social media platform offered a way in. While this gave audiences the chance to engage with the story from whatever platform they preferred, it also allowed the brand to use the content to engage audiences through paid media, partnerships and fan outreach.

The brand gathered over 500,000 visitors to the experience, and countless more were exposed to the message through social posts, news stories and downloading the eBook version of the site. Readers gave The Vanishing Game an average of 14 minutes of engagement per chapter – the New York Times only gets 10 minutes per visit. News coverage of the campaign reported over 233 Million impressions. The eBook versions on Apple and Amazon, released after launch, totaled over 100,000 downloads and propelled the Kindle version to become a #1 bestseller. And ultimately, Land Rover’s brand favorability rating increased 11 points.