Emojional journey

New York – Carly Rae Jepsen’s non-linear music video enables users to direct the action by selecting from a range of emojis, turning a traditionally passive experience into an engaging adventure.

: Uses the playful and communicative nature of emojis to great effect

: A free editing suite on producer Interlude’s website enables users to craft their own branching narratives

For her latest single, Run Away With Me, Jepsen teamed up with digital software agency Interlude, which specialises in Choose Your Own Adventure experiences.

The viewer is presented with a selection of emoji-based options used to answer the singer’s questions, such as: ‘Where in the world are you today?’ Depending on the viewer’s decision, the next sequence will show Jepsen singing and dancing around Paris, New York or Tokyo. 

‘We create videos that feel and respond to the viewer’s emotions and interests,’ Brian Harris Frank, president of Interlude Music, tells LS:N Global. ‘We are working on ways to make our videos feel the viewer through feedback mechanisms that are more advanced than simply touching the screen on a phone.’ 

The agency claims the interactive format yields an average three views per user and eight shares on social media.