Snow Globe
Dow connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences, and plastics businesses delivers technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings, and agriculture.
The Challenge
In 2010, Dow signed on as a long-term worldwide partner to a prominent sporting organization. Joe Gondek, Global Digital Marketing Manager at Dow Chemical Company, contacted Mercury Development about creating a seasonal snow globe application to run on both iPhone and Android. Mercury Development had previously worked with Gondek and Dow on the Acoustomize and CO2 projects, with tremendous success.
Mercury Development created a proof of concept (PoC) version of the app to demonstrate the core concept of the snow globe, featuring realistic physics for the snowflakes. Mercury Development immediately received an enthusiastic response. "I love it," said Gondek. "I know this is just the PoC version but I want to run the iPhone version at a meeting later this week." Despite the early phase of the design, Mercury Development was able to accommodate Gondek's request. At first, Dow wasn't sure what images to include inside the snow globe. Mercury Development suggested the PoC version use themes from the upcoming event locations, including relevant event elements.
The PoC version of Snow Globe required paying special attention to the technologies used and code quality to ensure that the iOS version of the app (mobile and tablet) could be ported to the Android platform with minimal rework. Mercury Development also had to ensure that the iOS app took advantage of the differing screen sizes between the iPhone and iPad. In addition, because the app was being developed for two platforms, it was imperative that common shared code was isolated to minimize cost and time to market. The extra attention to this detail on the front end of the project resulted in both the Android and iOS versions of the app being released within 3 days of each other, ensuring optimized market availability. Sharing a single, cross-platform code (C++ with OpenGL technology) that could be easily maintained was a critical component of the build because it improved efficiencies.
After a thorough review, Dow's creative team joined the project to brainstorm ideas to be implemented into the final version of the project. Dow's marketing department landed on the idea of users applying, positioning, and resizing their own pictures inside the snow globe. The concept was met with universal approval and added by Mercury Development to the architecture of the app. Upon finalizing the full snow globe concept, Mercury Development doubled its team of engineers toward a rapid, two-week development process to deliver the first official version of the app before a holiday break.
The Solution
The final Snow Globe app included backgrounds for all three upcoming event locations – London, Sochi, and Rio – enabling users to quickly switch between locations. The app allows users to customize the globe using images from their personal gallery. Users select a photo, shake the device, and watch the snowflakes dance over their unique creation!
The snowflakes are especially impressive. Mercury Development uniquely modified a physics library to ensure the snowflakes react realistically to users swiping and shaking their mobile device. Each of the 500 individual snowflakes follows a unique physics equation and moves in real time.
Since it became available, the Snow Globe app has been an impressive addition to Dow marketing efforts. Sales and marketing staff worldwide have noted that the whimsy and nostalgia promoted by the app have helped to increase company brand awareness. By designing the app to use backgrounds for all three upcoming event locations, the opportunities for impressions over time grow substantially. In addition, users have already commented on how much they enjoy the fun and simplicity of the app while appreciating Dow's decision to incorporate their logo unobtrusively.
The Result
Mercury Development provided full-scale support throughout the app's creation and deployment. The project management team collaborated directly with the customer – including several channels of ongoing, open communication between the Mercury Development team and the Dow design team – to ensure that all pieces of the vision were incorporated quickly into the final product.
“Mercury Development has been an unmatched partner in our efforts to build the Dow brand. The quality and perfection of the Snow Globe app proved once again that from senior leadership down through the organization, no custom software company better understands the value that a branded application can provide to long-tail marketing goals. Mercury Development does exceptional work.“
Following the home run Mercury Development hit with Acoustomize and CO2, the bar was raised to further impress Dow. Like the Super Bowl XLVI Chevy Game Time app, Snow Globe enables users to be part of the global sporting event while tactfully promoting Dow, the partner organization. The exceptional quality of the dual-platform Snow Globe app exceeded customer expectations.
“I've looked at several snow globe apps . . . this is the best! I'm running it on an iPad2 and the globe acts quite realistically. I can easily choose, crop, and realign my own images to appear inside. And I like having the two other themes so I can use it year-round. I also appreciate that Dow kept its logo small and off in a corner so that the snowglobe isn't drowned out by advertising. If you're looking for a simple, realistic snowglobe app that you can hang onto once the holidays are past, this is it!“
“I'm loving this app! A must download.“