Online micro movies prove useful for directors and businesses alike

It happens a lot these days: while commuting to work, you log into your Facebook account with your smartphone and find several friends have shared the same video on their feeds. Clicking to see what the fuss is about, you inevitably discover that the video turns out to be a clip promoting a product or service.

Whether they are called mini films, micro movies, or shorts, video vignettes built around a core narrative have become an attractive medium for businesses trying to reach more consumers, as well as aspiring filmmakers seeking to build audiences for their work. This boom in micro movies has been made possible by the spread of smartphones and the ubiquity of social media.

Global brands from Pepsi to Prada have used micro movies, which often feature celebrities such as mainland actress Zhou Xun, to reach a swelling army of young digital natives. Smaller retailers, such as shoe specialist Venilla Suite, have also been quick to make use of the trend. Even the convenience store chain 7-Eleven is riding the wave: for the past two years, it has sponsored short film competitions run through IFVA (Incubator for Film and Visual media in Asia) and M21, a media initiative under the wing of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups.

Rose Yeung, sales and marketing director of 7-Eleven in Hong Kong, says their campaign aims to encourage a new generation of filmmakers. "Our main target is local youths with passion who make films that speak for them," Yeung says.

But as all films must feature the store as the primary backdrop, the exercise also yields a series of short videos promoting the brand. "Mini movies can do an excellent job in reflecting how the city feels about the store, and connect audience's daily lives with the store," she says.

Television commercials are assured a degree of audience penetration, but online clips may not have a significant promotional effect unless they go viral.