And as the medium grows in popularity, and advances in technology make its implementation cheaper and easier to utilize, more and more people are seeking to integrate video into their online strategy. This month alone we have been commissioned to integrate, or produce, videos for four clients. And while straight video has immediate impact, we are going to see an increase in interactive video, that allows users the chance to effect their own outcomes, and chose their own scenarios. If you’re not familiar with interactive video check out this simple example we generated for our holiday card this year.

While this isn’t new (fans of the medium will all remember the Subservient Chicken), cheaper costs and faster download times, mean it too will play an increasingly important part in people’s web strategy. Why should you care? Well, the real Holy Grail for web-based marketers is of course the “viral” campaign. An interactive piece so entertaining and compelling that viewers are prompted to email it on to friends, generating an authentic “buzz” that helps propagate interest for a given brand. With media budgets shrinking by the day, who’s not in the market for some free brand buzz?

• Need more on info about viral? Check out Selling It: The Path to Viral Success
• Get some more viral ideas

Straight after its launch, Astia CEO Sharon Vosmek emailed us to express her delight with the video’s reception, “Let me start with how amazing the response has been to the piece you created. People LOVE it. Thank you so very much! We are thrilled!”

• Read more abut the Astia it Conference branding project

Gary Snoman: Viral Phenomenon from Iron Creative on Vimeo.

In today’s fast-paced world, there are a lot of things competing for our attention. We’ve got IM windows open, a screaming email inbox and the phone ringing off the hook. Which is exactly why it is so important to use humor to connect with our consumers – even for just a few minutes.

Even hard-nosed business types are embracing the power of a little levity to help get their name out and reconnect with former clients. Take this rough cut of a holiday message we developed for Trident Capital as an example. It’s done in a traditional style, but is very much at the cutting-edge of corporate communication.

• Read more about our viral success stories
• Read more about our financial services work

Checkpoint / The Wall:
This piece features a bold, unconventional look and feel, intended to invigorate attendees at Checkpoint’s annual meeting.

Capital Volkswagen / White World
Here we developed a friendly but minimalist world, where the message and the product would stand out, unfettered.

Astia / it Conference
This was a viral piece, that needed to surprise and entertain people, while branding Astia’s conference as an unconventional new experience.

Lombardi Sports / Miles Per Hour
This spot needed to maintain consistency with the overall Lombardi campaign – based primarily on irreverence.

Purcell Murray / Pro Range & Showroom
These two spots made the most of a shoe string budget, carrying the brand Iron had developed for Purcell Murray, into a Cable TV environment.

Clothing Broker / Security
This spot evolved very naturally out of the Clothing Broker brand promise: “We save wherever we can, so you save big on designer fashions.

Purcell Murray / Gaggenau Steam Oven
Here, the client requested a very conservative, conventional aesthetic.