MTV simulcasted interactive branded content on Twitter to allow fans to choose what happened at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards to give today's fans what they crave. Our social campaign put a star-packed celebrity award show in the hands of fans. Using polls and real-time feedback with #VMAStanCam, people's responses determined what we captured and what we broadcasted during the live show. The power of thousands of fans commanding what was to happen creating candid reactions, must-see moments, viral buzz and organic branded moments in our innovative social-first campaign.

Most audiences think they know what to expect from award shows, and there's less urgency to tune in live when they can catch up on-demand, or on social media, and seemingly miss none of the excitement. With awards show ratings declining, we set out to re-energize our live event for the 2019 VMAs and bring two of our biggest sponsors in on the action. Toyota wanted to boost brand appeal among Millennial and Gen-Z audiences; ultimately elevating the brand’s “cool factor.” While Doritos was looking to launch a new ad campaign featuring no logo or brand name, to reignite “icon status” and attract a younger advertising-averse generation. So, how could we engage with fans, across screens, knowing that younger audiences must be met with personalized content to win their attention? Not an easy task, given market-level, organic social conversation declines between 40-45% in the competitive award show set.

The VMA StanCam democratizes the experience of an award show by letting the fans vote on what appears on Twitter, real-time. We empowered the audience to co-create their own live stream experience. As an evolution of traditional behind-the-scenes award show content, this custom experience lets fans focus on their favorite VMA stars’ reactions during performances, and backstage to serve up questions and requests. During select performances, we asked followers to vote who among three celebrity audience members they would like featured on a live-reaction cam. With Toyota sponsoring the remote Jonas Brothers performance, we treated their rabid fans with even MORE Jonas, with a call and response for an extra performance directly following their epic show along the Jersey Shore’s iconic beach boardwalk. Doritos, aligning with their program’s subliminal messaging and talent, we created a backstage moment with organic triangular elements, and thematic editorial featuring VMA performer, A$AP Ferg.

We put the fans in the driver's seat by letting them "stan" their favorite celebs during the first-ever awards show designed to be an inclusive party. Twitter is the home for live cultural conversations and the perfect place to play this out while seamlessly integrating our partners through content and ad media. By baking a participation layer into the show, we drove audience engagement in real-time, creating a way for fans to feel a part of the experience. Celebs backstage and in the audience, in effect, spawned side stories amongst casts of characters, which brought fans and stars closer together of spontaneous, personable, and intimate moments. Audience insight drove content and increased the opportunity for viral success, as fans and celebs alike created reaction clips and memes, which snowballed and became the top shared pop culture.

Ahead of the broadcast, MTV Twitter accounts teased the innovative #VMAStanCam, letting fans know that this would be a VMA unlike any other. With ten dedicated cameras in the venue, including three in celebrity seating and two backstage crews, we created a series of 15 polls throughout the broadcast, playing off trending moments and asking fans to weigh in on whose reactions they wanted to see. In-show vignettes let viewers know they can catch a more intimate look at the action on Twitter. After each poll, we delivered on fan requests with short-form live streams. Camila Cabello rocked out to Taylor Swift's world premiere performance, we convinced CNCO to harmonize backstage, caught up with Lizzo post-performance. Fans asked for an extra Jonas Brothers performance and along with Toyota, we delivered. Q&A backstage with A$AP Ferg included a seamless integration of Doritos (leveraging triangular imagery/props; no logos) in the green room.

We created 22 original live streams full of buzzworthy moments and genuine celeb interactions. Fans weren't just watching the show; they were watching Camila and Shawn’s performance with Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner. Outlets like People, Cosmopolitan, and ET pushed VMA and StanCam content to the forefront globally. StanCam live streams clocked 7.1M views, while overall views on Twitter day-of/after show soared +439% YOY. Video views grew +69%, and engagements increased +10% YOY, making it the best performing award show on social in Viacom history. Our Latitude Research Study concluded that VMA viewers were 91% more likely to consider purchasing a Toyota, and 98% more likely to associate Toyota with being “edgy” and “youthful” vs. non-viewers. Brand awareness for Doritos rose to 76% among VMA multiplatform viewers versus 67% for non-viewers, and purchase consideration rose 93% amongst multiplatform viewers.