In the U.S., a major hurdle for brands that want to reach young influencers is massive media fragmentation and the ever-increasing trend of Gen Y's cutting the cord on traditional media channels. To combat that, many brands have implemented a branded content strategy in which the goal is to entertain and engage as well as to educate on brand cues and attributes.

Our goal was to create a two-way conversation and an interaction in which Intel provides experiences for our target in exchange for their time and attention. Our branded content strategy was key to reaching this elusive target and getting them to engage. Our message was not a simple message and in order to educate our target on the amazing features of the Ultrabook we needed them to experience it firsthand.

We partnered with Microsoft to develop Intel’s “Discovered,” a multi-platform branded experience inspired by our target’s entertainment and celebrity obsessions.

“Discovered” set out to give our target a taste of stardom.

The main attraction was the first-ever branded, full motion interactive film created on Microsoft’s Kinect for Xbox 360. Ultrabooks were organically interwoven into the plotline and featured prominently as an integral part of each scene. Fans participate in movie scenes using Kinect technology, placing themselves alongside A-list celebrities as they embody an action film star, celebrity DJ, or a red-carpet supermodel.

Other elements included:

• An original documentary web series featuring 12 celebrities giving tips on their rise to fame.

o Users were driven to the series via editorial links on MSN, creating a natural connection between editorial content and branding

• A kiosk-based “Discovered” game experience at celebrity and college-focused events

• “Discovered” themed mobile games

The “Angry Birds in Ultrabook Adventure” has been an engagement success for Intel:

• Consumers who clicked through to Intel.com from this experience were 98% more engaged once they got to Intel.com than users who clicked through from a standard banner ad.

• The program contributed to lifting product awareness by 10 points

• Over 5.5m unique visitors arrived at the game and played the levels.

• 87m levels have been started, 17m levels completed and over 56m timeline impressions through published actions across Facebook.

• The game has also been embedded in personal Facebook timelines over 9m times.

Angry Birds provided a perfect property to help Intel tap into the gaming passions of its core consumer. The “Angry Birds in Ultrabook Adventure” not only achieved huge reach through its viral success on Facebook - it also drove a 50% increase in Ultrabook engagement compared to our standard digital advertising. “Angry Birds in Ultrabook Adventure” is a prime example of what happens when you blend entertainment, education, and passion points to deliver an immersive brand experience.