Elf Yourself Explained

Elf Yourself
Logocaption:Elf yourself early logo (pictured during JibJab's authorship)
Url:Elf Yourself website
Type:Christmas
Registration:none
Language:English
Content License:free for users
Owner:Office Depot
Launch Date:[1]
Current Status:Holiday season only

Elf Yourself is an American interactive website where visitors upload faces of themselves or their friends and have the option to post the created video to other sites or save it as a personalized mini-film.[2] [3] Globally, over two billion elves have been created since the application was first introduced in 2006.[4] The video and website were created by Evolution Bureau (EVB), in collaboration with New York company "Toy." for Office Max's holiday season advertising campaign.[5] [6] [7]

The Elf Yourself website and advertising campaign first launched for the Christmas holiday season in early December 12, 2006, and has returned each subsequent season. After being contracted by OfficeMax to create multiple websites for their holiday campaign, "Toy."[8] contracted with Evolution Bureau to create a suitable holiday-themed website and application.[6] [7] [9] Evolution Bureau then developed the Elf Yourself application for use with the OfficeMax holiday marketing campaign. The original release featured only one elf,[6] portrayed by Danielle Bárcena, and received 200 hits a second.[8] In later releases, additional elves were added to the application and viewers could upload different images for each elf.[6] Still later, social media applications were added, included those allowing viewers to save and/or download the films they had created through visiting the website.[2] In 2008, OfficeMax partnered with JibJab and added a registration requirement in order to use the site. Traffic dropped to 56 million.[2] JibJab worked to "enhance the performance and distribution of the videos."[2] [10]

In 2009, the campaign being run by JibJab, the registration requirement was dropped, and social elements were added.[11] Also in 2009, to further promote the Elf Yourself website, OfficeMax contracted with Tribal DDB and Grand Central Marketing to create a flash mob of 400 dancers dressed in Elf Yourself costumes.[12] [13]

Reception

Brand Republic reported on the insertion of personal images, stating "while the idea has been widely used in other applications, OfficeMax's version has become an internet phenomenon."[11] Adweek reported "Elf Yourself has hit the bull's-eye of viral success: It has seeped into pop culture. Broadcasters at several local stations, The Today Show and Good Morning America created their own dancing holiday greeting for viewers."[14] In Social Media Judo, it was pointed out that while OfficeMax hoped Elf Yourself would "warm up" its corporate image, "the overwhelming majority of customers who saw Office Max's popular marketing campaign gave credit to the company's top competitors."[15] In addressing the creation of the 20 microsites created for OfficeMax, Adland called Elf Yourself "a strange, corny, yet enormously successful website."[3]

Awards and nominations

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Elf Yourself page snapshot . December 5, 2006 . . May 31, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061201000000/http://www.elfyourself.com/ . 1 December 2006 . dead.
  2. News: OfficeMax Adds Social Element to Elf Yourself 2009. Quenqua. Douglas. November 19, 2009. ClickZ. May 30, 2012.
  3. Book: Othmer, James P.. Adland . 2009. Random House Digital, Inc. . 978-0385524964. 243–250.
  4. With more than 480 million users in 215 countries, and has been downloaded over 65 million times since transitioning from an online platform to smartphone app in 2012. See:Business Wire. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151104005115/en/Office-Depot-Elf-Yourself%C2%AE-App-Creates-Billion
  5. News: Jason Zada Leaves EVB. Aditham. Kiran. August 26, 2008. Creativity Magazine. May 29, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20131017064513/http://creativity-online.com/news/jason-zada-leaves-evb/130544. October 17, 2013. dead.
  6. News: Dancing Elf Video Site Back for a Second Year. Nelson. Matthew G.. November 26, 2007. ClickZ. May 29, 2012.
  7. News: Jason Zada Profile. Parpis. Eleftheria. May 8, 2008. Adweek. May 29, 2012.
  8. News: . Elf yourself with holiday eCards . May 31, 2012 . . December 15, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131017080849/http://hamptonroads.com/2006/12/elf-yourself-holiday-ecards . October 17, 2013 .
  9. News: Morrissey. Brian. Shops Strive for a New Formula. May 30, 2012. Adweek. June 30, 2008.
  10. News: Burns. Enid. Elves and Mistletoe Put Viral Campaigns in the Holiday Spirit. May 30, 2012. ClickZ. November 19, 2008.
  11. News: Whitehead. Jennifer. Online elf craze is back, with added social networking goodness. May 30, 2012. Brand Republic. November 10, 2009.
  12. Web site: OfficeMax "Elf Yourself" PR and Viral Video. https://web.archive.org/web/20110405042806/http://www.grandcentralmarketing.com/officemax-elf-yourself/. dead. 2011-04-05. 2011-04-05. 2018-12-02.
  13. Web site: OfficeMax "Elf Yourself" PR and Viral Video. https://web.archive.org/web/20120409181653/http://www.grandcentralmarketing.com/officemax-elf-yourself/. dead. 2012-04-09. 2012-04-09. 2018-12-02.
  14. News: Morrissey. Brian. The Rules of Viral Web Success, at Least for Now. May 30, 2012. Adweek. January 7, 2008.
  15. Book: Chris Aarons . Geoff Nelson . Nick White . Social Media Judo. 2011. Dog Ear Publishing. 978-1608448852. 146–156.
  16. Web site: Awards and Recognition, 2007-2012. OfficeMax. May 29, 2012. June 15, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120615003936/http://about.officemax.com/html/officemax_awards_recog.shtml. dead.
  17. News: Beck. Cam. Office Max's Elf Yourself: ad:tech People's Choice Awards Finalist. May 31, 2012. Madison Avenue Journal. April 7, 2008. October 31, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121031182501/http://www.madisonavenuejournal.com/2008/04/07/office_maxs_elf_yourself/. dead.
  18. Web site: ad:tech 2008 award winners . . May 31, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120605014712/http://www.ad-tech.com/awards/win_2008.asp . June 5, 2012 .

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