Honda’s The Other Side, Deloitte’s recruiting film, and Lifesaver’s Jake scenario show three clear jobs for interactive video: express a brand idea, explore workplace decisions, and practice a response to an emergency.
These are named video experiences, not a list of AR apps, ordering tools, or interactive ad formats. Honda and Deloitte are historical campaign references, documented on their creators’ or hosting provider’s pages. Lifesaver has an official film-selection site. Use the links below to study each example; historical campaign documentation doesn’t mean the original interactive player remains available on every device.
Key Takeaways
- Choose an interaction that serves the purpose. Honda’s story switch reflects the two sides of the car.
- Turn an abstract message into a decision. Deloitte uses an office experience to explore the values it seeks in new hires.
- Plan branching before filming. A story with alternative scenes needs a map of those scenes and their connections.
- An interactive video doesn’t always begin as one linear film. Some projects add hotspots to existing footage; others need separately planned clips, choices, and outcomes.
Content
What Makes a Video Interactive?
An interactive video accepts viewer input as part of the viewing experience. That input can change the story, reveal information, select another clip, or check an answer. A film with clickable story choices qualifies. A product configurator or an AR try-on isn’t automatically an interactive video just because it responds to input.
Top 3 Interactive Videos You Need to See
| # | Specific example | Viewer action | Main design lesson |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honda: The Other Side | Uses a key to switch between two stories | Make the control reflect the brand idea |
| 2 | Deloitte: Interactive recruiting film | Takes part in an office-based recruiting experience | Show values through decisions |
| 3 | Lifesaver: Jake | Responds within a CPR and AED training scenario | Connect the interaction to a skill |
1. Honda: The Other Side
Explore: Wieden+Kennedy’s official campaign page, which documents the original interaction and includes a campaign video.
Honda’s historical campaign presented two sides of the Civic Type R through a suburban school-run story and an art-heist story. Wieden+Kennedy describes how viewers could type “R” to switch between them. That control mirrored the car’s Type R race button.
The creative lesson: The action carries the concept. Switching stories gives the viewer a way to experience the car’s contrasting identities. If you’re designing a B2B product film, use the same principle: a choice should reveal a meaningful difference, such as two workflows or two buyer needs.
The important production decision comes before the shoot. Two connected stories need to be conceived together; a toggle can’t create that relationship after filming. Study Honda as a reference for interaction design, rather than assuming its original keyboard-controlled player is still running on the campaign page.
2. Deloitte: Interactive Recruiting Film
Explore: Kaltura’s hosted Deloitte recruiting example.
Kaltura describes a recruiting experience that takes viewers through Deloitte’s office and explores whether they fit the values the company seeks in employees. The page frames the outcome as a day that can end in disaster or show that the viewer has what it takes to work there.
The creative lesson: Replace a list of values with a situation in which those values matter. For recruitment or onboarding, a useful choice asks the viewer to consider what they would do, rather than simply acknowledge a statement on screen.
This is a design reference for showing workplace judgment. It doesn’t establish that interactive video improves applicant quality or produces better hires. For your own project, decide what each choice should communicate and how the viewer will understand its consequence. The provider page documents this specific experience; availability of the legacy embedded player can vary.
3. Lifesaver: Jake
Explore: Open Lifesaver’s Interactive Films and select Jake, the scenario about a person who has collapsed. The official menu identifies it as a 13-minute film about CPR and using an AED.
Resuscitation Council UK describes Lifesaver as a “game-in-a-film” that puts viewers inside emergency scenarios and asks them to make decisions. The Jake player includes an answer counter and an average-response-speed display. The Council’s overview explains the program’s purpose and development.
The creative lesson: Tie the input to the skill being taught. Here, decisions and response speed belong to the emergency scenario. In workplace training, borrow that relationship between action and purpose: ask for the decision the learner needs to practice, then make the feedback clear.
Lifesaver is a reference for interactive training design, not a medical script to copy into your own material. Specialist training needs its own expert-approved content. For a product or onboarding video, the equivalent is to have a subject expert check the task and the consequences before production.
How to Choose an Interactive Video Format
Start with what the viewer should do or understand:
- Compare two experiences: A story switch can make the contrast visible, as in Honda’s campaign.
- Consider a decision: A scenario can make the viewer think through a situation, as in the Deloitte example.
- Practice a task: Questions and feedback can be built around a learning goal, as in Lifesaver.
- Explore products: Clickable hotspots can connect an existing product clip to more detail. This is a separate production route from a branching story.
For SaaS teams, start with one buyer task or decision. If the information is clearer in a standard explainer video, use that format. Add interaction when the viewer’s input changes something useful.
How Interactive Videos Get Made
Choose the production route after defining the interaction. Hotspots can be added to an existing video. A branching story usually needs a map of scenes, choices, transitions, and endings before the footage or animation is made. Live formats need their own delivery setup.
- Map the viewer’s actions. Write what each choice does and what happens next.
- List the assets. Identify reusable footage and any additional scenes, product shots, or animation.
- Choose the player or platform. Confirm that it supports the intended choices and devices.
- Produce and assemble. Build the video assets and connect the paths or hotspots.
- Check every route. Test the choices, backtracking, captions, links, and mobile experience before release.
Budget depends on the footage, number of paths, platform, accessibility needs, and testing. An interaction added to an existing clip is a different assignment from a newly filmed branching story. Scope those elements separately instead of assuming every interactive project needs more footage than every linear one.
Vidico produces explainer videos, product footage, and animation for B2B teams. If your project needs an interactive experience, define the player and integration work alongside the video assets before production. Start with our video creative brief template to clarify what the viewer should understand and do.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some examples of interactive videos?
Honda’s The Other Side used an “R” key to switch between two stories. Deloitte’s recruiting film explores an office experience and workplace fit. Lifesaver’s Jake scenario uses interactive film for CPR and AED training. Each connects viewer input to a specific purpose.
Are AR try-ons and configurators interactive videos?
They are interactive media, but they aren’t necessarily videos. A glasses try-on uses a camera feed and rendered frames; a configurator updates a product representation. Call something interactive video when video playback and viewer input form the experience.
Does an interactive video need a linear base video?
No. A hotspot-based project can reuse a linear clip. A branching film can be built from separately planned segments connected by choices. Plan the interaction first so the footage suits the experience.
How much does an interactive video cost?
The scope determines the cost: video production, interaction design, hosting or platform fees, integration, accessibility, and testing. Ask for those parts to be itemized. A simple hotspot and a multi-path filmed story need different estimates.
Make the Choice Worthwhile
These three examples make input part of the idea. Honda connects a key press to the car’s identity. Deloitte uses an office scenario to explore values. Lifesaver connects decisions to a training task. Use that as your starting point: define why the viewer should interact, then produce the assets and paths that serve it.
For help planning the video content, book a free video strategy session.
