Trendspotting: Choose Your Own Adventure video storytelling

Remember those Choose Your Own Adventure books? Putting it in video form storytelling to market Cody Simpson's forthcoming debut album Paradise is near genius.

The Warner Sound's series "Finding Cody," about two fans trying whatever it takes to get into Cody's sold-out concert, has 31 interactive videos with 15 possible outcomes. It's seamless, empowers his young female fans and includes his music in a way that is logical to the story!

(Paradise out October 2, 2012 on Atlantic Records (Photo source: Cody Simpson's Facebook)

Moreover, the story is fun, age-appropriate wish-fulfillment, and the production values are high. The videos are all relatively short (ranging from 30 seconds to 8 minutes each), so they don't ask for a large commitment, and the multiple endings give the series strong replay value.

Check it out! Very cool and creative. We'll likely be seeing these truly interactive series pop up in many places soon.

Trendspotting: Teaser music videos

In the past, music videos were merely used as a visual promotional tool to launch a single, which would then help sell the album. Now in the digital age, the music video release is an event.

Leading up to the unveiling of the music video, artists have released teaser videos on their YouTube or VEVO accounts to pump up excitement among fans. Teaser videos are typically short 15-60 second clips, and sometimes employ a staggered release by counting down the days until the music video.

More often than not, the clips are just that - short footage of the product, which makes it as exciting as the product is.

To break out of the vast ocean of clips, some artists have tried teasing a little differently. Let's take a look at what missed our ears and what hit the bull's eye.

Missed The Mark #1: Coasting with what you've got
Kelly Clarkson announcing a new single/music video/album is big news in itself; after all, she is the original American Idol and one of the few winners to build a significant and loyal fan base. Her new single, "Mr. Know It All," is another terrific kiss-off anthem, so when they released a teaser clip, expectations were high.

"Mr. Know It All" teaser clip, released three days before the full video:


For a music video that didn't seem story-driven, it was boring, lacking any panache, and did no favors to anyone who was a casual viewer. The wall of article clippings and play with shadows look pretty cool, but when the clip fades out, it all feels anticlimactic and is nowhere as explosive as the song. There's nothing enticing in this bite that makes a viewer want to tell anyone about it -- let alone come back for the full entree. 

There's no denying her fans are still going to watch the full music video and buy the album, but many viewers likely wanted those 43 seconds back.

For more misses and what hit the bull's eye: