Virtual Reality: A New Marketing Tool for Brands +13 VR Case Study
12+ Best uses of Virtual Reality applied to Marketing in a creative and unconventional way.
Virtual Reality (abbreviated as VR from English Virtual Reality) is the term used to indicate a simulated reality, often with viewers, which allows you to navigate in photorealistic environments built around the user in real time, interacting with the objects present in they.
There are many scenarios in which VR can be applied, from the Gaming world to the world of entertainment such as Cinema or Adventure Parks or even in contexts such as Museums or Schools to expand storytelling.
Thanks to the constantly growing number of wearable and content viewers in the world, VR platforms open up new opportunities not only in the field of pure entertainment, but also in business.
The Status of Virtual Reality
We assume that technology should be treated as a platform, it must not be the idea or the creativity.
Companies have begun to understand that this new technology, applied to creative ideas and integrated in a communication campaign, can have an important involvement towards people, capturing the attention and being able to tell an experience in an immersive way.
From the latest GreenLightInsights research we see that there is a positive feeling on the VR theme and that the areas of greatest interest are Tourism / Adventure followed by Film, Live Events and Home Design and Gaming.
VR allows you to immerse people in a completely unconventional environment, or replicate a family environment by entering the cloth of another person evoking emotions and closeness to the message or story to communicate.
This technology allows you to evoke emotions, in simulated contexts and integrate personalizations on the individual person thanks to associations of information from their Social Media accounts.
To make you understand the scope of this new technology that will revolutionize content and more, below you can see the largest companies such as Apple, Facebook, Google, GoPro, HP, AutoDesk and their latest acquisitions of companies with focus on Virtual Reality.
According to Forbes at least 30% of the companies that target the consumer sector, this year will experiment with virtual reality instruments and devices.
It is estimated that by 2020 the value of Virtual Reality will be over 40 billion dollars.
Virtual Reality for the Web
The Virtual Reality can also be applied to the Web, and need less development and super cheap viewers, in this case we talk about Cardboard achievable by hand or purchased on Amazon for less than 10 €
I want to share with you WebVR Experiments a collection of experiments in Virtual Reality in open source, it is possible to download the code from GitHub.
As you can see from these experiments it is easy to understand how interesting it will be to try to use engagement dynamics that can simply exploit a browser and a cardboard viewer.
Obviously in this mode we have limits, but it can be a first phase of experimentation.
13+ Virtual Reality Case Study
Let’s look at some case studies that allow us to understand how companies have used Virtual Reality for marketing activities in a creative and “unconventional” way with original ideas and dynamics.
I tried to select case studies in different sectors such as Automotive, Beverage, Fashion, Entertainment in order to have the most complete VR application scenario possible.
1. Audi: Enter Sandbox
Audi Norway uses Virtual Reality to create a real virtual test-drive to try out the new Q5 in a wow-like context.
The originality lies in applying a Big Idea to the technology, in this case the test drive track is created mapping the sandbox into VR, realizing one of the dreams we all had when we were young when we were playing sand paths with the model cars.
As we can see from the presentation spot, some children try to drive the new Q5 on a path mapped on the surface of the Sandbox, a landscape created by mapping the surface of the sand with lots of objects, such as the castle and the pallets.
The track can be modified simply by moving the elements in the sand container by hand, making holes or climbs, then after further mapping it is projected as a virtual circuit to be covered with the model of the Q5.
2. Jon Lewis — Buster’s Garden VR Experience
Jon Lewis reproduces in Virtual Reality part of his famous Christmas spot that has had great success and clamor also seen the period under US presidential election.
In this case we can note the ability to integrate VR technology into a wider communication strategy and not leave such activities unrelated to the rest or just simple activations.
This activity demonstrates how VR can be taken into consideration from the beginning of a communication campaign, an attitude that many brands will have to learn.
3. Old Irish — Virtual Journy to Irland
Old Irish, a craft beer with a truly unique Irish recipe, but one tormented by negative clichés about the Irish.
They offered ordinary people a virtual tour of Ireland, and while they were busy exploring Irish nature, the streets of Dublin and a typical Irish bar, they built around them a real pop-up bar full of Irish stereotypes.
An original way to live a virtual experience and make it concrete with a little artifice.
This dynamic has been followed (and sometimes plagiarized) by many companies.
4. Gardaland — Shaman VR
Gardaland is one of the first adventure parks in Italy to equip itself with Virtual Reality and at the same time participate in mass culture.
His new attraction Shaman brings with it the use of Virtual Reality viewers, in such a way as to show people a totally fantastic environment while keeping the feelings of speed and adrenaline.
In this case we see how technology has been integrated creatively in an ordinary context, amplify its characteristics (speed, adrenaline, movement) to a simulated reality.
5. Patrón Tequila
Patrón Tequila tells his story in Virtual Reality, immersing people completely in the narrative thread.
In the story in VR we see how the company tells its story, showing the source of the product, the people who work there and also part of the production chain reaching the final part with the defined product.
An activity of this kind certainly leaves a positive memory to those who try it through a visor that manages to immerse it in the story.
6. Merrell — Trailscape
To support the launch of a new hiking route, the Merrell company during the Sundance Film Festival has created a VR experience called “Trailscape” that takes the person on a dangerous mountain trip.
Participants are walking along a simulated set that is mapped with a virtual experience to create a new level of involvement.
Motion capture allowed the adventurers to explore the mountain, with tactile elements, such as rope walkways and shaking the wooden planks, making the experience immersive experience.
7. TopShp — VR Experience AW14
During the London Fashion Week AW14, Topshop launched the first live show in Virtual Reality.
Four lucky fans won a front row seat to view the show, where they could share their feedback through Instagram and Twitter sitting in the Oxford Circus store.
In addition to seeing the show it was possible to view a Twitter feed on the move in real time.
8. Coca Cola — VR Christmas Ride
Coca Cola presents a Christmas activity in Poland in Virtual Reality where it was possible to become Santa and drive the famous reindeer sleigh.
Thousands of people all over Poland have had the chance to live a unique experience with the Oculus Rift of Facebook with a lot of Santa’s sleigh taking off.
9. McDonald’s — Happy Goggles
McDonald’s turns its Happy Meal Box packaging into a Google Cardboard, to display VR or 360 ° contexts.
A smart way to reuse the packaging format, taking advantage of the mobile device to put inside it to make people play.
Obviously in this case the gaming activity did not need processors or large memory, so the classic Cardboard came in handy.
10. Marriott Hotels — #GetTeleported
The famous chain of luxury hotels, Marriott Hotels, presents its cabins with the possibility of teleporting thanks to VR.
In this case the activity was dedicated to some newly married couples to whom they could propose a virtual honeymoon.
The experience was also linked to 4D techniques, so as to immerse the people in the activity even more.
11. Mountain Dew — VR Skate Experience
The Mountain Dew (Pepsi drink) offers an immersive experience with the chance to run in the shoes of a skater.
Through Oculus it was possible, within several temporary stands, to try to balance on the skates table and compete with their friends on an obstacle course
An activity that was going to complete a wider marketing operation with commercials and PR activities.
VR Case Study Extra
What happens when VR is integrated into platforms and structures capable of simulating the actions that are required in the virtual environment?
In this case we are in front of highly engaging and non-static activities remaining firm, in fact the environment that surrounds us is part of the experience increasing feelings and emotions.
12. Birdly — Flyng VR Simulator
It’s called Birdly and is a startup that through Virtual Reality allows you to fly, taking control of eagle on the city of New York.
Arms, feet and our whole body become the absolute controller of the VR experience.
13. Battlefield4 — Cyberith Virtualizer
In the Gaming world are born platforms that allow you to walk or run during the experience in Virtual Reality.
In this video we see an example with Battlefield 4, in which the player has the opportunity to move in the environment both in the real reality and in the simulated one, completely expanding the sense of play.
Conclusion
I would like to stress once again that technology must be treated as a platform, it must not be the idea or the creativity.
Technology is a tool, in this case Virtual Reality is a new way to engage people, in an immersive, personalized and highly emotional way. The key is to find the correct creative concept to be applied and to be performed with maximum performance.
The VR is certainly one of those new technologies for which you can really leave people something, an experience, a memory, a true emotion evoked by the activity, so it is an excellent opportunity for immersive and interactive storytelling.
To date, VR is not mass, or people do not have a Virtual Reality system at home because of too high costs and too much confusion of devices.
However, this does not mean that we can not experiment with marketing, intercepting our target and proposing an original experience.
Another reflection is to find the right integration, or be able to integrate VR as a synergistic activity in a wider communication project, only in this way it will be possible not to lose budget on orphan VR activations of a concept and that turn off after a few days .
