Shaw Media has teamed up with Secret Location and Windup Filmworks to bring the docudrama film Storming Juno to life in the digital world.

The website, which launches on Nov. 11, the same day the film premieres on History Television, was created concurrently with the show. Secret Location developed the online experience, which puts the user directly onto the battlefield.

Shaw decided not to use standard ad units for the website but is still looking for a last-minute sponsor for the interactive website, says Chris Harris, director of digital content, Shaw Media.

‘We’re talking about putting users directly on the battlefield on one of the most important days in the military history of Canada. It just didn’t seem right to put standard ad media in that experience,’ he says. ‘We do have an opportunity for a client to come on board as a sponsor, but it’s in a much more elegant, integrated way, so it doesn’t interfere with the experience, and it keeps it respectful of the subject matter.’

History Television kicked off its Days of Remembrance programming on Nov. 5, airing content about war, and it culminates with the Storming Juno premiere on Nov. 11.

To promote Storming Juno, History Television is running promos for both the TV film and the online content, a tactic rarely seen on the channel, says Harris. Usually, the promo would be for the on-air show, with a call-to-action to visit the site tagged onto the end. There are also ads on the channel’s website, History.ca.

With files from Playback Daily