\n\tWhile not the first “interactive” website, the Burger King promotion definitely exceeded all expectations when it went viral.
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\n\t(Also see the blog post: “Influential interactive website designs: 10 of the best.” )
\n\tThe interactive “web experience” for the film Donnie Darko possibly enjoyed a larger audience than the film during its first release. This website perfectly reflected the film while presenting an intensely intriguing mystery all on its own. Like the old computer game Myst, the Donnie Darko game gave no clues or easy solutions. Yet it exploded in a viral popularity to rival the cult status of the film.
\n\tThis innovative site invites users to alter photos of the Man in Black and submit them to an ever-growing online compilation of user-generated artistic renderings
\n\tThis interactive viral marketing campaign for the Showtime series Dexter not only went viral but actually caused a panic in the UK as unsuspecting recipients of the “killer” videos mistook them for real threats. You can’t get much more immersive than that.
\n\tThis website for the film Broken Embraces presents an excellent interactive experience and has been copied by many others. This stands more as an example of this type of interactivity than as a primary source of the design movement.
\n\tNot only did YouTube create an interactive medium for sharing videos but the full potential of creating “interactive” experiences with the videos has just begun to take root. An amazing example of this is the interactive zombie adventure video “Deliver Me To Hell” (maketing campaign for Hell Pizza, New Zealand) wherein the user gets to make choices inside the video and thereby affect its outcome. In effect, YouTube has not only defined the online video community, it has secretly laid the roots for a new interactive game engine.
\n\tAs much as I hate listing giant evil corporations in this list, Google must be included and indeed, given the top slot. They may not have started as a giant evil corporation, but their impact on the web is nearly unsurpassed by any other. Even if one were to discount their search engine, Blogger, and multitude of other offerings, Google Maps alone would merit being at the top of my list. I dare say there are many people who couldn’t imagine life now without Google or Google Maps.
Mr. Fluhr has a diverse background in the interactive entertainment industry. From Creative Director with Agora Interactive to game designer with various companies such as Virtual Reality Entertainment and AWT, his experience covers a wide range of clients. In addition he has also served as Digital Asset Manager for the US army, taught 3d Animation, Photoshop, and Video Production at a small college in the Southern California High Desert, and worked as free-lance digital artist, alternate reality game designer, viral video production, and website creation. In his copious spare time Mr. Fluhr writes and produces interactive mysteries for hotels and immersive training experiences for corporate clients. His personal passions include Shakespeare, alternative films, trending technology and culture, political debate, mysteries, the meaning of life, lost causes and other eclectic obsessions requiring a constant supply of caffeine. He hopes to find time to sleep some day.
