Resn wins at The Webbys

NEW YORK, Yesterday: Wellington-based digital experience agency Resn (which also has an office in The Netherlands) has picked up NZ’s only gong at the Webby Awards, which rewards work on the internet.

VanMoof S3 & X3 Live Launch won in the Shopping category – a broad church with many entrants from all over the world making it very competitive overall.

“With this project, we set out to blow up the whole idea of a product launch – and we did just that,” said Resn marketing & comms manager.

“As the world began shutting down in 2020, Resn brought experiential marketing into the lockdown era with a live, digital product launch for Dutch e-bike company VanMoof.

“The launch unveiled two revolutionary new e-bikes, the S3 and X3, in an online event that combined live-streamed video, short films, audio, interactive real-time 3D, commenting, and live audience Q&A.

“The experience engaged fans all over the world and became VanMoof’s most successful launch ever.

“VanMoof had originally planned a traditional product launch, but Covid ensured a live-audience was out of the question. VanMoof needed another plan and that’s where Resn came in, providing a solution that took the essential elements of a traditional launch and took them to the next level.

• “The VanMoof S3 & X3 launch was the most successful in the company’s history.”

“To do so, Resn created Toast, a new platform that helps brands produce scalable online product launches. The goal was not to replicate the real-life experience of a product launch, it was to reinvent it entirely. It’s a platform that maximizes engagement, encourages audience participation, and cultivates a sense of community while promoting physical distancing.

“The launch was an extended programme of personalised interaction for fans, influencers, and press. The programme kicked off with a talk by VanMoof’s founders, brothers Taco & Ties Carlier, who joined from Amsterdam and Taipei respectively, via live-streamed video.

“After the founders revealed the new S3 and X3, guests were able to freely explore and interact with the bike in real-time 3D, discovering it at their own pace. This was followed by a walkthrough of the bikes’ key features, bringing video, audio and interactive together into a seamless experience. Fans could react, chat with each other, and ask questions with the click of a button.

“Answers to some of the 2000 submitted questions were answered in a live Q&A session with the two founders. The democratic nature of the event used technology to bring unlimited numbers of fans closer to the new product and its makers than ever before—allowing them to interact directly with the founders.

“Over 6000 riders from around the world were watching live – we’ve never been able to share a launch experience with so many people at once. The VanMoof S3 & X3 launch was the most successful and most-viewed in VanMoof’s history.

Taco VanMoof said: “Right now, I couldn’t be happier!”.

Justus Smith: “We’ve gone on to stage Toast launches for Maserati, California-based electric car company Lucid Motors, chocolate manufacturer Tony’s Chocolonely, and adidas – and there’s more in the pipeline!”

• Toast page: toast.resn.co.nz
• winners.webbyawards.com
• resn.co.nz