Musical.ly, an app that tweens and teeangers use to create videos lip syncing to their favorite songs, is quickly becoming one of the world’s most popular apps, with upwards of 90 million registered users. The app and its users, called “Musers”, have shaken the music industry and created a launching pad for would-be popstars around the world.

WSJ. Magazine 2017 Innovator Awards

Crafting a better future from a world in flux. This is the hallmark of WSJ. Magazine's 2017 Innovators—a group of visionary, foundation-shaking luminaries working across seven fields. This year's talents were honored at the annual Innovator Awards on November 1 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Selected by WSJ. Magazine editors, the honorees were: Reese Witherspoon (Entertainment); Raf Simons (Fashion); Diller Scofidio + Renfro (Architecture); Roman and Williams (Design); Musical.ly (Technology); Ryan Heffington (Performing Arts); Mark Bradford (Art).

For the third year in a row, MediaStorm has used its multidisciplinary approach to create films that shine a light on the legacies and innovations of each individual. These films showcase some of MediaStorm’s greatest strengths: an ability to develop a captivating story under tight constraints; combining beautiful cinematography and motion graphics to add unparalleled finesse; and working in close partnership with a client to get results.

These videos have been a critical part of WSJ’s strategy to drive it's audience to its site and to assert itself as the place of significance for the informed citizen.

In keeping with our mission to develop stories that matter, we are thrilled to play a role in recognizing the WSJ. Magazine 2017 Innovators.

The Wall St. Journal Magazine, for its seventh annual Innovator Awards, required short, fast paced, but personal, stories of innovation from each of its seven winners.

MediaStorm was originally scheduled to interview the CEOs of Musical.ly. However, running a social network of 90 million plus users precluded that option, and our team was left with finding alternative voices to illustrate Musical.ly’s story.

Director Samia Khan decided instead to focus on Musical.ly’s users as representatives of its innovation and impact. After some research, Khan chose to focus on “Baby Ariel”, one of Musical.ly’s biggest stars with some 22 million followers. Her passion and energy for her fans, and for the app and its community, were evident in the interview, which matched well with the Wall Street Journal Magazine’s desire to create punchy, upbeat videos.

The film premiered at the WSJ. Magazine 2017 Innovator Awards, on November 1st, and then published on the Wall St. Journal’s and MediaStorm’s websites the next day. It is a key tool for driving awareness to the magazine and the prestigious awards themselves.

With five global editions spanning 62 countries, WSJ. Magazine—which publishes 12 issues a year—is The Wall Street Journal's luxury-lifestyle publication dedicated to the power and passions of the Journal's readership.