Brief:

• Paramount produced 360-degree content as part of its efforts to promote “Mission Impossible: Fallout,” the sixth film in the spy thriller series that will premiere on July 27. The immersive content includes several Mission Impossible short-form videos created by Gfycat, which this week introduced its 360Loop platform to make GIFs that behave more like virtual reality (VR), per TechCrunch. GIFs show video clips that run in a loop.
• Desktop users can use a mouse to look around inside a 360-degree GIF, while mobile users can move a phone around to see different parts of the GIF. Users can have a more immersive interaction with GIF content in an easily downloadable format without the need for specialized equipment like a VR headset.
• Gfycat CEO Richard Rabbat said the proliferation of video product tools like 3D cameras and content from studios will make 360-degree GIFs an increasingly popular way to interact with short-form content in a compact form, per TechCrunch.

from mission impossible 360 GIFs via Gfycat

Insight:

As GIFs prove their enduring appeal for consumers, marketers are experimenting with the content more, including leveraging longer form content. Gfycat’s 360-degree GIFs offer another alternative and provide a more immersive experience than 2D videos. The idea is to capture the attention of viewers and prolong the time they spend with branded content, especially given the short attention span of mobile users who quickly swipe through content. 

Paramount’s 360-degree content for the latest installment of “Mission Impossible” shows how the entertainment industry continues to experiment with new technologies to promote films. A key focus of these efforts is to drive word-of-mouth on social media as people share video clips in their messages and posts. If users enjoy the 360-degree GIF, they will be more likely to share it. Paramount promoted the March release of animated movie “Sherlock Gnomes” with an augmented reality (AR) beauty experience on mobile devices that let fans check out looks inspired by the movie and decorate selfies with film-inspired content.

Film and TV producers already have created the video content to be seen on other media platforms, giving them plenty of material to slice and dice for short-form GIFs. 

The growing importance of GIFs was highlighted this year as Google acquired Tenor, a four-year-old startup that helps advertisers run mobile ad campaigns that feature the shareable clips. Tenor has become a hit with advertisers, which pay the company up to $500,000 to run sponsored GIFs inside search results. About 300 million people a month use Tenor’s platform for Android, iOS and desktop to find GIFs to copy into messages or to share on social media. Gfycat is geared toward developing GIF creation tools, and has 180 million monthly active users.