The open road means so much, to so many. To me, the thought of it brings back nostalgic memories of cross country trips with my family, road trips with friends to see bands play, and summer camping trips in our national parks.

Chevrolet wanted people worldwide to celebrate and share experiences like these through its Chevrolet Route 66 global filmmaker contest. In June of this year, Chevrolet asked folks to share short films that celebrate life’s journey and showcase the spirit of the open road. They weren’t disappointed. In all, filmmakers submitted 197 videos from 32 countries around the world. And one lucky filmmaker’s 30-second spot will appear in the big game on February 5, 2012.

But to reach and engage global audiences, a place to house the videos was needed.

Chevrolet’s goal was to create a personalized experience with an incentive for engagement, yet a low barrier for participation. And because the sharing contest is global, it needed a centralized place, with the ability to localize the films. Keeping these needs in mind, Microsoft created a hub to house and share the videos.

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What’s new or unique about the hub?

· All of the films live in one place on one page. The video wall is designed to make discovering, viewing and sharing as easy and efficient as possible with sharing features.

· Its responsive design is built for cross-compatibility and seamless access from virtually any device.

· Content is localized to users’ locale and include a localized UI with video subtitles based on the browser preferences of the users.

· Bing Translator APIs are integrated in the user commentary so users can read what other users are saying about the films around the world.

· The hub goes live today in nine markets, including Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Mexico, United Kingdom and here in the United States.

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It’s all about engagement …

· Microsoft Advertising is also getting into the spirit of the contest. The person who shares the most videos with friends will also win $10,000! Everyone who visits the video wall will get the opportunity to engage in the excitement. The wall’s hub will feature a leader board so it’s clear who is sharing the most.

· Microsoft Advertising will promote Chevrolet’s contest across multiple properties – MSN, MSN Video and Bing Video – guaranteeing tons of eyeballs and participation.

· The contest runs through January 25, 2012 at 11:59:59 GMT, with the winners announced within two weeks of the contest conclusion.

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We’re revved up and can’t wait to see the film that captures the essence of the open road!

Stephen Kim, General Manager, Global Creative Solutions, Microsoft Advertising