“Jim worked with us on a chatbot brief for Mercedes-Benz, which he single-handedly turned into an interactive experience. In addition to great ideas, Jim's 1-slider outline of complex user journeys became our benchmark.”

- Ron Englelbert, Creative Lead for Mercedes-Benz Global, Antoni Berlin.

MERCEDES F1: FACEBOOK MESSENGER GAME

Mercedes-AMG F1 are one of the most successful Formula 1 racing teams in history. Every year, they push the very limits of motorcar technology. To engage fans, a chatbot was developed in the voice of Lewis Hamilton. But it had to be so much more, an innovation worthy of the 5-time world champions.

Going further than Facebook chatbots have ever been before, we engineered a choose-your-own-adventure. Explore the F1 world, move between different areas and make fun decisions that affect Hamilton’s race. And uncover all the exclusive images and surprising facts about Lewis and Mercedes.

FATE'S IN YOUR HANDS

Using a Facebook chatbot to create and link various paths and choices, taking fans through a unique story every time they play.

 

PUSHING THE MEDIUM

Going beyond a simple chatbot or quiz bot to build a complete and addictive game (you just have to see all the content).

EXPLORE THE F1 WORLD

Fans can move between areas, learning all about Mercedes and making decisions that could win or lose the final race.

WOOOOOOOOHOOO! 

Capturing Lewis’ voice was essential to the game. Interviews, team radio transcripts and FIA briefings helped get the tone right.

ALTERNATE ENDINGS

Depending on the player’s choices, a different race will pan out. As a fan engagement piece, replayability is an opportunity that can't be missed. 

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THOUGHTFUL CREATIVE

IKEA Effect

We tend to place a disproportionately high value on something we had a hand in creating. Race Day applies this bias to narrative itself – your choices affect the story, increasing your enjoyment of it.

Levels of Processing Effect

Psychology states the more we think about something, the longer-lasting, and stronger our memories of it. So this bot was developed with player choices to encourage deeper thought and aid recall.

MacGuffin

A narrative technique, creating a goal that is of vital importance to the character(s). The desire to win the race is used to set the story in motion. But it is the content within the story that has real value.

Aposiopesis

Build and build and build and then…

          a well-placed pause adds drama. Unfinished sentences followed by Facebook’s typing indicator were used to engage players.