In Real Life: Race To The Finish

Objective

YTV sought to deepen viewer engagement with its reality series 'In Real Life' by integrating interactive gameplay into the show's narrative. The campaign allowed the predominantly youth audience to influence episode outcomes and character returns through active participation, transforming passive viewers into co-creators of the show's direction.

Solution

Race to the Finish was an online Flash game, created by Secret Location, where viewers built custom levels and accumulated game points and badges. Players directed their earned points toward their favorite TV challenger as votes; the two challengers with the highest fan-generated point totals returned for an exclusive webisode finale, in season two structured as an ultra-daredevil skydiving episode. In season 3, a companion mobile app (iOS, released Oct 3, 2011) gave fans another way to play, and the format expanded so that two top fans from the game competed alongside the two returning challengers in the final episode, creating a hybrid TV-game grand finale.

Results

Three weeks after its Oct. 4 launch, Race to the Finish had drawn over 30,000 kids playing nationwide, over 260,000 page views, and more than 1,250 fan-built levels. The campaign received a Youth Media Alliance Award nomination in 2011 for Best Convergent Interactive Content, a Kidscreen Awards nomination in 2012 for Best Tweens/Teens Companion Website, a DIGI Award win in 2012 for Best in Cross-Platform (Kids), and a Canadian Screen Award nomination in 2013 for Best Cross-Platform Project – Children's and Youth.