Cheer detergent is rolling out what it claims is an industry first: A clickable YouTube video that takes you to a non-YouTube site.
The music video, for the song "Climbing Walls" from Strange Talk, has colorful objects, which viewers can click to be entered to win them. Those prizes include socks, dresses and a Fender Stratocaster, among other items. Jason Wiedemann, brand manager for the Procter & Gamble detergent brand, says although other YouTube videos have included such Annotations before, those linked to another YouTube site. The Cheer video leads to a Facebook app for Cheer where you can register for the item you "dug." A YouTube rep says she believes Cheer is "one of the first" to use Annotations this way, though she said she couldn't be sure others hadn't.
The unique approach underscores the brand's attempt to woo a young, digitally savvy audience. The brand's marketing budget is now 100% digital, Wiedemann says, and the brand is being positioned to appeal to consumers who want to express their individuality. (Tagline: "We dig color.")