A Trifecta Carol
No doubt their mobile device batteries were dead...as doornails. This must be distinctly understood or nothing wonderful can come from the story I am going to relate. No one thinks anything of a mobile device making noises, unless its batteries are dead. Then it's quite a spectacle. But that's true with so many routine things...when the story's told well.
The Ghost of Christmas Past: Christmas in Tree-D
As her iPhone ringtone played Prince's "Purple Rain." to mark the midnight hour, Trifecta’s Emerging Technology Director Kenna Jackson woke to a specter from five Decembers ago. To be sure it was the Ghost of Christmas Past…an augmented reality (AR) Christmas tree floating above the Moore Monthly magazine’s December 2014 cover. “Christmas in Tree-D” was the first time her company had produced an AR experience, the first time AR had been used in an Oklahoma publication, possibly the first time AR ever received commercial application in Oklahoma. What was she to learn from its reappearance now…and what was coming next?
The Ghost of Christmas Present: Santa Saturdays
At 1am a ringtone struck again, this time playing Queen's "Bicycle Race." for Armand McCoy, Trifecta’s President. Standing before him was the Ghost of Christmas Present…St. Nicholas. Armand’s company incorporated mysteries of this legendary character into a holiday campaign for his client, Republic Bank & Trust. A vintage Facebook campaign mimicking a 1960’s holiday TV special shared the mysteries of Santa, offering viewers an opportunity to meet “the real Santa Clause” Saturdays in December while shopping local. The nostalgia brought Armand back to everything he loved about the season and pointed him to local businesses. This specter was an omen to the power of good storytelling.
The Ghost of Christmas Future: Possibilities OKC
The third ringtone struck loudly and unexpectedly at 2am. It was Galaga's Theme Song on Trifecta CEO Brent Wheelbarger's ancient iPhone 4. He awoke to the sight of Byron Jackson with the Possibilities OKC non-profit, standing right in his room. This was problematic for many reasons…but most particularly for the message Byron brought. Clearly, he was the Ghost of Christmas Future. Non-profit funding is down in Oklahoma, dramatically impacting their work. If this didn’t change, the future Byron foresaw was unthinkable. “But it’s the biggest time of giving each year,” thought Brent. “We’re not too late.” And this was true. The Ghost of Christmas Future pointed to numerous ways we can make a difference this December, including the following:
A Jolly Ending: Technology + Story Telling + Heart
As the ringtones rang on Christmas morning, the ghosts of past, present and future had departed, but their message was clear: Technology combined with good storytelling combined with a heart to make things better really can change the world. With every project Trifecta tackles from public to private sector, philanthropy to business, technology-based to old-fashioned word of mouth it all intersects in our mission: Trifecta Communications uses technology and storytelling to solve problems.
