Mason Zimbler creates digital Christmas card to test new innovations

This Christmas, award-winning integrated marketing agency Mason Zimbler has invited clients to a day at the races – but with a twist. A personalised email invites clients to play an online, interactive racing reindeer game (http://racingreindeer.mzl.com) developed by the agency’s creative team to test new innovations in technology.

Clients can bet on one of four racing reindeer using a virtual £1,000 and invite their colleagues and friends to challenge them. Players can personalise their own avatars and learn about the current form of Private Prancer, Slappen Dasher, Lapland Dancer and Stupid Cupid before they choose which one to back.

The game runs on Union, an early release development platform that enabled the Mason Zimbler studio to create the multi-user application so several players can compete against each other in real time. The video streaming functionality uses Red 5, an open source implementation of a Flash Media Server.

David Sloly, Mason Zimbler’s creative director, provided the voiceover to the game, which was filmed in the agency’s studio. He said: “Everyone in the agency was able to get involved in this project; it gave them a chance to do something new and interesting. We pride ourselves in innovative work for our clients, and to be able to do that we have to be constantly building and testing new technologies. As this is still the bleeding edge of technology, it means we’re taking the risks so our clients don’t have to.”