We tend to concentrate a lot on physical installation projects on this blog, but every so often a web project warrants a nod as well. Such is the case with Hotel 626. I’ve been wanting to write it up ever since it was a SOTM on theFWA (always a great resource for website innovation) back in October of last year. Since it’s now many months old, it’s surely old hat for most folks in the web development world, but I’m sure it will still be new to a lot of the readers of this blog.
What makes this microsite rise to the level of Operand’s definition of interactive is that it’s a deeply immersive and participatory experience. And also because it extends the medium a bit, allowing you to use your webcam, microphone, and telephone in interesting ways within the experience.
The site is basically a scary video game that you play in a browser. And it’s pretty darn creepy. A nice touch is that you can only login to the site between 6pm and 6am. The story has you wake up from a nightmare in Hotel 626 with an urgent sense to get out. In order to do that you have to navigate 10 levels and figure out various challenges.
Some levels are easy, some a little harder. All in all it’s not a very challenging game for serious gamers, but it’s enough to keep the casual user entertained for a bit. If you opt to use a microphone and webcam they get utilized within the game. One of the levels allows you to get instructions via phone. (If you do that you will also get a creepy phone call later on.)
This is branded entertainment – it was paid for by Doritos to promote a new flavor or something. I’m not sure how high the ROI of it is as advertising, because topically the experience is not really related to the product at all, at least not that I could tell. But as an engaging experience it’s quite effective.
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