MTV2 is part of MTV Networks and its parent company, Viacom International Incorporated (NYSE: VIA). MTV2 was launched in 1996 originally to show more alternative types of music videos and give music fans a place to watch music videos commercial-free. It demonstrated being ahead of the curve in its early years by broadcasting live before broadband Internet access was widely available. MTV2 was re-launched in 2005 with its own distinct branding.

Challenges

• Visually combine objectives of Urbanworld Film Festival with MTV2 brand while enhancing and maintaining MTV2's re-branding efforts — in half the time and within budget.
  
  
• Provide a unique user-experience without making users feel as if they are on a computer.

Azavar Delivered Results

• Delivered ahead of schedule.
  
  
• Award-wining, cutting-edge interactive kiosk that incorporates the look and feel of the Urbanworld Film Festival while promoting and strengthening the MTV2 brand.

Technology

• Adobe Flash
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe Photoshop
• Final Cut Pro
• Sorensen Squeeze

Solution

Azavar™ Technologies has had a long standing relationship with MTV Networks. MTV2 was looking for the same successful interactive kiosks that Azavar created for MTV's 2001 Campus Invasion Tour for MTV2's involvement in the 2005 Urbanworld Film Festival.

MTV2 is an official sponsor of the Urbanworld Film Festival, the largest internationally competitive festival of its kind. The film festival caters to independent cinema by and about minorities, highlighting feature films, documentaries, short films and music videos. Independent films like Hustle & Flow and RIZE were screened, along with lesser-known documentaries and films that were in competition, such as Street Fight, Chinese Dream and El Otro Sueno Americano (The Other American Dream).

MTV2 had been re-launched in February of 2005, with its own logo and branding. Its sponsorship of the Urbanworld Film Festival in June of that year presented an opportunity for MTV2 to promote its edgy and cool image. The solution had to attract people to the MTV2 booth in a banquet hall, the theatre and other locations, and the solution had to be delivered for installation required on high-end, multimedia interactive kiosks.

With little direction and under a tight deadline, Azavar™ Creative Design delivered a cutting-edge, popular solution that strengthened the MTV2 brand.

Given just seven days, Azavar Creative Design created an award-winning, interactive kiosk application using Adobe Flash. The interface incorporated MTV2 branding, such as its two-headed dog logo, "sharts" and video mods. The color scheme of reds and blacks, and the video images behind the sections and accompanying music, coupled with crooked text and font, gave the interactive kiosk that urban, gritty feel that fit with the Urbanworld Film Festival.

The cuts from section to section enhanced the user experience by making it feel more like watching a film rather than working with applications on a desktop. Clips from films being screened at the festival were included, giving users another opportunity to see trailers and learn more about MTV2 and Urbanworld while still feeling like they were at a film festival rather than a computer store.