Pushing The Boundaries
With more and more industries jumping on the band wagon and creating their own virtual experiences, we are talking about the involvement of Virtual Reality in experiential marketing. The car industry in particular has attracted our attention by really pushing the limits of the technology in its current form.
Audi, as a prime example, have been experimenting by virtually transporting their Audi R8 onto the moon and adding x-ray effects allowing the consumer to explore inside the body panels to decide if it’s the right fit for them. The campaign has proved successful with consumers as it would be impossible to create this experience with a showroom. Audi are showing marketers this technology is like no other and there really is no rulebook.
Some unlikely industries such as telecommunications have been trying their hand at virtual reality. T-Mobile are placing fans in the centre of the Home Run Derby to experience their favourite players like never before. As a sport which is best experienced live, the brand are creating an on-demand virtual reality viewing of the Derby to go live after the event. The VR is rumoured to include training footage and Kansas City Royals’ ring ceremony for winning the 2015 World Series.
Absolut Vodka, on the other hand, aimed to get out of the normal commerical cycle by are showing consumers a reimagined future of nightlife with a virtual game. They are using VR experiences to connect with a specific consumer group, the early adopters of technology who are ready to experiment with music and the virtual reality video game itself, by giving consumers the experience of a lifetime.
During our recent VELUX campaign, VR was used to give suppliers and installers an insight into the features and benefits of the brands new white-painted roof window by transporting them into a 360° journey of the manufacturing process. To provide a greater understanding of the product along with instilling a sense of community and workmanship with the brand, we took consumers from the forest where the wood is sourced, right through to the building, testing and installation of the innovative new design in the Denmark factory.
But why are these unlikely industries getting involved? Virtual reality experiences like such are designed to provide an experience of the brand, create a perception which predominately influences the market of today. VR can be used to tell the brand’s story – not just demonstrate new products and features but to really convey values and how a product can affect the consumer directly.
