Blood, Sweat & Tools

Objective

Discovery Channel Canada launched an innovative competition series aimed at engaging Canadian audiences in interactive digital experiences while expanding viewership beyond traditional television. The primary business objective was to introduce a 'DIY television first' format where viewers would have direct influence over live show outcomes through their participation on a connected digital platform.

Solution

Jam3 developed The Gamebench, a multi-platform interactive experience available on desktop and mobile devices. Viewers earned additional voting power by participating in online games and challenges throughout the nine-week season, including 'Tool Up! Trivia' quizzes and 'Extreme Challenges.' Voting was available through multiple channels—the web platform, Twitter hashtags (#VoteBSTBlue, #VoteBSTPink, #VoteBSTRed), Facebook, and SMS—allowing audiences to accumulate votes that determined the winner announced live during the season finale broadcast on June 8, 2015.

Results

The project won CSS Design Awards recognition with a score of 7.68/10. The competition featured five Canadian couples competing for a $50,000 prize, with the winner determined by viewer voting during the season finale. The winning couple received the 'Most Improved' title through this interactive voting mechanism.