Explore ScarbTO is an interactive series, made for Instagram, where we explore spots to eat, relax, and have fun in Scarborough, Ontario. Every month, our student host asks our Instagram community what they would like her to explore, and, through a poll, students vote for one of three options. Once the poll closes, our host ventures out to that spot with her cell phone to capture her adventure. At the end of the month, we post the video on Instagram. The series exceeded our expectations, resonated with our audience, and is returning in 2024. Our goal for the four episodes was to get a total of 40,000 views, reach 32,000 people, and get 250 poll votes per episode. We exceeded these numbers earning 179,721 views, reached 169,663 unique people, and achieved between 385 to 455 votes per episode. Our key takeaway: University of Toronto students really want to see the full picture of what life looks like outside of the campus, and this series gives them an avenue to explore that.
From the Judges
We liked the editing and creativity. It truly justified the concept of videos on a shoestring. Also, the execution of the topic made it relatable to the student audience.
