VirTube
Profile in short and Portfolio
Founded in 1996, @MSTERDAM (www.apenstaartje.nl) is the offspring of a shared interest in communications,
technology and graphic design. A full-grown highly specialised company today, @MSTERDAM offers realisation
of concepts and maintenance of content in the area of New Media.
2001 saw the foundation of its sister organisation, the communications agency VirTube.
Concentrating on new media, high bandwidth and its potential, VirTube specializes in the development of concept and strategy for on-line and off-line media. VirTube focuses on the various forms of (traditional) media and the interaction with New Media, which results in a cross-medial approach and realization. Below you will find several examples combining concept & strategy with realization in the field of new media.
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MSN.nl (www.msn.nl) offers a wide range of services and products. With a view to extending product familiarity as well as generating a logical link between MSN and its products, VirTube created concept and strategy for the MSN house banners and buttons, which are featured on the MSN Internet presentation. Unity and recognition are enhanced, by introducing a comic character, based on the MSN logo. It is by placing a banner in which this character 'stars' on the page the user is viewing, containing a suggestion for another service or channel that may be of interest to them, that a kind of signposting is achieved within the Internet presentation. Moreover, in this way it is made clear what products are part of the MSN range and thus coherence between brand and product or service is increased and, consequently, so is the familiarity of and with the brand itself.
VirTube is also responsible for the realization of various other MSN campaigns like the introduction of the MSN-explorer through the Internet presentations of de Telegraaf, de NOS, de Telefoongids, de ANWB, vrouwonline and nu.nl.
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Movie theatre Rialto Click here for Quicktime version. |
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The Rialto Movie theatre is the movie theatre for the artistic movie
lovers in Amsterdam. Rialto is engaged in introducing new moviemakers,
as well as putting new movie countries on the map. Put differently: Rialto
is a vivid movie theatre, which makes well balanced decisions regarding
artistic movies en creates a tempting and original program.
Assigned by Rialto, VirTube has developed a communication plan as well
as the pay-off, aiming to ensure a strong market positioning, raising
the amount of visitors as well as committing a larger public to her theatre
for a longer period of time. VirTube has chosen for both on-line as off-line
campaigns to take the maximum in the cross-medial effect. In the beginning
of 2002, three different commercials, produced by VirTube as well, will
be shown to the public in various ways.
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Determining the strategy and concept concerning the presentation of the
digital Photo camera-range (digital ixus: www.digital-ixus.com)
and the video camera-range (XL1s / MVX1: videolineup.canon-europa.com).
The translation of the VirTube-concept to the final result was @MSTERDAM's responsibility.
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VirTube developed a communications path for the introduction of as well as the dissemination
of information concerning new KliQ products. KliQ is a division of the former Arbeidsvoorziening Nederland,
the governmental institute for the coordination of employment policies. In three stages and based on the
familiar story-telling methods of Introduction, Plot and Conclusion, employees were familiarized with
the new Intranet, PlanQ.
After an extensive teaser campaign, the implementation of an extension of the Internet presentation
ensued which in this way offered greater clarity. Finally, it was explained exactly what PlanQ is all about;
by this time, people had grown so familiar with the product that the transition to the new Intranet
took place as smoothly as possible.
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While most organizations distribute diverse Christmas and New Year's greetings among their business relations,
@MSTERDAM decided on a slightly earlier end-of-year present. VirTube developed both concept and strategy and
created the so-called 'Apenstaafje' (a pun on 'apenstaartje' -the Dutch word for the @ symbol- and 'staff' or 'stave').
A number of life-size Saint Nicolas (similar to Santa Clause, St. Nicolas' birthday is celebrated on the 5th December)
staves were manufactured, the usual spiral shaped curl on the end having been replaced with the @ sign.
Equipped with nametags with the URL www.apenstaafje.nl,
the staves were then delivered personally to relations and clients of @MSTERDAM. The URL refers to a page on the Internet
where visitors can travel a number of routes along a virtual representation of the staff by answering yes-or-no questions.
Having arrived at the 'bottom' of the staff, a surprise (which, along with the exchange of presents, is a St. Nicolas tradition)
awaits the visitors. This December novelty accomplished both a greater brand familiarity and more involvement with the client.
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Festival in de Branding: Composing applicationJohan Wagenaar Stichting and Hollands Spoor |
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In order to instill enthusiasm for contemporary classical music in high school students, this composing application was designed for the 'Festival in the Surf'. Musical building blocks, ready-made by two professional musicians, enabled the students to create their own composition, while advice and guidance were readily available through e-mail communications with students of the Royal Academy of Music in The Hague. After submission the compositions were assessed by an expert jury, after which the winning piece was performed at the festival. In this way, the course from analogue to digital, then again to analogue was traveled in a playful and interactive fashion, resulting in a modern, involved stance towards both a contemporary and a classical medium.
@MSTERDAM
A full-grown, highly specialised company today, @MSTERDAM offers realization of concepts and maintenance of content in the field of New Media. Hosting solutions are presented to complete the package offered in relation to the projects.
@MSTERDAM is responsible for translation of the concept into a
functional, graphical and technical design and the realization of these
designs.
@MSTERDAM will take care of graphic design, web design, interactive
design, the development and realization of databases, knowledge bases
and content management systems. Next to this, @MSTERDAM focuses on the
design and realization of application development (Internet/PDA/mobile
devices) as well as CD ROM/Video CD/DVD production.
www.apenstaartje.nl
@MSTERDAM
Prins Hendrikkade 22a
1012 TM Amsterdam
Tel: 020 - 675 51 40
Fax: 020 - 671 15 53
Email: info@apenstaartje.nl
Press Release
20 July 2001
VirTube and @MSTERDAM launch house bannering of MSN.nl
Since January 1 2001, VirTube has been working as a new communications agency. Focusing on new media, high bandwidth and its possibilities, VirTube has specialized in developing concepts and strategies. Its founders have built their experience since the beginning of sister company @MSTERDAM. They have been responsible for @MSTERDAM's strategic and conceptual vision with regard to the development of Internet, intranet and multimedia presentations. Commissioned by McCann-Erickson and MSN (Microsoft Networks) Holland, VirTube is developing strategies and concepts for the house bannering for MSN.nl.
Goals of the assignment are: To create trust in 'the world of MSN'; to increase brand awareness in MSN's products and services; to boost the popularity of MSN itself. In order to give the portal more coherence and its visitor a better sense of overview, VirTube has brought to live the butterfly from MSN's logo and has put it to use as an animated figure in the banners and buttons on MSN.nl. This cartoon-like character will serve as a guide in the house bannering and help to make the entire presentation more recognizable.
@MSTERDAM has the necessary experience and will be responsible for the execution of the work. Thanks to a close cooperation with VirTube, @MSTERDAM can produce creative and innovative products and services of a high quality.
Contact
Froukje Porte
Account Manager
Email: info@virtube.nl
Prins Hendrikkade 22E
1012 TM Amsterdam
Tel: +31(0)20-851 14 50
Fax: +31(0)20-671 15 53