Within the Grid

These days, Instagram is my social media of choice. Sure they allow ads now, but it’s graphic configuration still cuts back drastically on the obnoxious noise and clutter of the Facebook feed.

I’ve struggled though, with how exactly to use Instagram as a marketing tactic. How do you inspire engagement beyond a simple “like” of a photo? Especially when Instagram has such strict restrictions on adding live links.

Here’s two big brand marketing campaigns that have somewhat blown my mind on their big picture thinking, and dedication to managing the results of multiple clicks to drive a user experience.

Reynold’s Wrap – The Endless Table
Using the grid structure, when looked at as a whole, Reynolds Wrap has created a seamless table. I’ve never seen the grid used this extensively and it’s an impressive feat of photographic engineering. But it goes further than that.

Each image references a user (@pumpkincaramelbars for example) and when you visit that user, you are taken to a new board that has a grid of step-by-step photo instructions from that recipe. Which means each recipe is it’s OWN account and every recipe has had it’s own photoshoot. 

Mercedez: Build your Own
This YouTube clip demonstrates it the campaign pretty well.
Mercedez used photo tagging to circumvent Instagram rules on links. And each click takes you to a new board, based on your selection the last board. It’s really very simple, and it’s the most interactive application of Instagram I’ve encountered.

Basically, this boils down to managing dozens (if not hundreds) of accounts to accommodate the numerous variations that could be built.  
 
I’m impressed by the thought process here, building it and managing the “choose your own adventure” options, had to of been tedious. And essentially, each board is a dead account – New posts won’t be added, they exist solely for this gimmick.*

It’s often hard to think outside of the box. Which is essentially what Instagram is, lots of tiny little boxes. I admire the minds that formulated these campaigns, and even more the patience that executed them! I look forward to seeing more innovative uses of the Instagram platform. 

*which is why I’m tickled that people followed some of these pages for the features!

Dressing for our Friends

LA fashion photographer, Viktorija Pashuta has transformed the qualities and usability functions of each social platform into human characters, in What if Guys were Social Icons.
 

Pashuta has personified the icons that we see everyday when we log into our social media accounts. As a regular source of communication, he believes these these networks come alive as we use them. Portrayed through fashion, each social network in his photo series has its own character and style. Facebook is depicted as casual, Twitter as classic, Pinterest as creative, Linkedin as business, Instagram as vintage, Flickr as artsy, Tumblr as hip and Google+ as innovative.

This series was Part II, following What if Girls were Internet Browsers, where the same concept was applied to women and browser icons. "We see Internet browsers icons every day and looking at my desktop screen I came up with the inspirations to glamorize boring icons and bring them to life in a form of beautiful fashionable girls," Pashuta wrote. 

Internet Explorer is flashy, Firefox sexy, Opera elegant, Chrome utilitarian and Safari - trendy/hip. 

I find these depictions inspired, amusing, and overall pretty accurate.They all just look so shiny, like the bouncy little icons on my applications dock.