Nat Geo Site Blacked Out?
Project Launch

Nat Geo Site Blacked Out?


In a playful nod to the dark subject matter of American Blackout, a National Geographic Channel television event, NeoPangea quietly deployed a devious alternate reality experience that draws viewers right into the thick of the action. People visiting the National Geographic Channel homepage on the day of the American Blackout premiere experienced an unsettling, simulated power grid failure and witnessed the website's faux-failure right before their eyes. An animation full of graphical glitches and panic-inducing sound effects made it appear that something was terribly wrong, and after a few confusing seconds, the visitor was redirected to the full American Blackout interactive experience. Those who had non-blackout related business on the National Geographic page could simply revisit the main page and proceed with their browsing; visitors were only redirected during their first visit during the promotional window.

Expanding on the harrowing tale told in National Geographic Channel's American Blackout television event, NeoPangea is proud to announce that the interactive American Blackout web experience is now available online.

Spanning ten days of a nationwide blackout, this visually-striking tour through a country in chaos offers a wealth of original content that enhances the American Blackout experience. Each day of the interactive timeline focuses on a particular theme that is introduced by video segments performed by actual Fox News anchors. National fatality statistics and financial impacts for each day were computed using complex formulas and by extrapolating from statistics about previous disasters. Subject matter experts who consulted for the television event also provided insights into each day's topic for the web interactive.

Viewers can explore hundreds of embedded YouTube videos, photo galleries, and text items with their computers and tablets. Dramatic parallax scrolling, smooth animations, and ambient sound effects make each HTML-powered scene come alive with an increasing sense of desperation. Scenes were meticulously constructed using stock and original photo assets, some of which include NeoPangeans who worked on the project. Intuitive social connectivity enables easy sharing of individual pieces of content or the main site address.

Intrepid scene explorers can also personalize their experience by answering personal assessment questions that determine which related content appears. Adding to the urgency of the situation, viewers who have the web experience open during the premiere of the American Blackout television event will be treated to a synchronized, guided tour of the web content.

The American Blackout television event premieres on the National Geographic Channel on October 27 at 9 PM.