14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is referring to Wonderwall as its new online destination for entertainment and celebrity information. The website, built by MSN in partnership with BermanBraun Interactive, has debuted into Beta, and can already be accessed by users worldwide. Developed with an unconventional interaction model, Wonderwall lets users scroll horizontally in order to discover and navigate to new content, rather than vertically. According to Microsoft, the purpose of the UI is to emulate the feeling of flipping the pages of a magazine.
“Wonderwall offers a clever, thought-provoking and amusing voice to fans of celebrity and is a great addition to MSN’s portfolio of entertainment content,” added Rob Bennett, general manager of Network Programming for MSN. “Partnering with BermanBraun helps us deliver this unique experience and original and refreshing perspective. We believe Wonderwall will strike a chord with people that will have them laughing out loud and coming back for more.”
Wonderwall will have at its helm Alex Blagg, former founding editor of VH1’s “Best Week Ever” blog, who has taken up the role of lead editor. Under Blagg's lead, the website will offer visitors a variety of content, including materials focused on pop culture, personalities and trends. Fact is that Microsoft is looking to steal some traffic away from the already established online hotspots dealing with entertainment and celebrity content. Promising nothing but the latest information, photos, videos and features, Wonderwall is a candidate to attracting some users out of the 84% of people on the Internet from the U.S. who visit similar destinations on a monthly basis.
“We saw an exciting opportunity to aggregate and program MSN’s celebrity/pop culture content in a dynamic and visually arresting way,” BermanBraun partners Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun added. “We are thrilled to work with MSN in bringing our new online destination to its vast audience and advertising partners.”