Optus persuades bloggers to share video dilemmas

Optus has drafted in bloggers for the latest stage of its You Choose digital strategy.

Following the Dutch’s Destiny video series – in which viewers were invited to choose between a series of alternative story paths to decide the fate of an aspiring rapper – the telco has turned to bloggers for a real world version.  

The first two videos on the Optus YouTube channel feature former Dolly editor Gemma Crisp – who recently launched her blog The Show Pony – and Seamus Byrne from gaming site Byteside.

In a video posting on the  channel, Crisp invites viewers to choose between her sharing her most humiliating moment or reading an old love letter.

In a tweet last Wednesday, Crisp wrote: “Just had a preview of some videos I’m involved in for an upcoming viral campaign – CRINGE”.

In Byrne’s case he invites consumers to choose which arcade game he should play.

Sydney band Tamarama is also involved in the campaign, asking fans for input on the design of a T-shirt.

Other bloggers have also been invited.

The Dutch’s Destiny series, which also ran on Channel V was lampooned for the quality of its acting. The videos have now been changed to private setting so they can no longer be seen. A spokesman for Optus told Mumbrella: “Some of the feedback we received was that people liked the concept but were not keen on the execution.”

The latest campaign, based on YouTube only, with paid advertising pointing to it, involves PR agency Bang, M&C Saatchi and its digital arm Mark and the Optus marketing team.

The spokesman said that the campaign followed a survey of the target market at the beginning of the process with the questions for that based on the advice of a panel including Social Media Club Sydney organiser and Amnesia staffer Tiphereth Gloria, Scott Rhodie who has since launched digital PR firm HouseParty and A Digital Perspective blogger Jye Smith.