Virtual reality was once purely an idea of the future, a prototype, something to only be imagined. Today virtual reality is bringing a new area of our everyday routine to life. Digital advertising. Believe it or not, virtual reality is becoming this generation’s next platform for brand storytelling and consumer connection.
What is virtual reality in the context of advertising? Virtual reality (VR) is an innovation in human-computer interaction. Currently VR technology requires a headset display of some sort that immerses users in a 3-D world. As your head moves, the digital display adjusts – more or less tricking the user’s brain into thinking that what they are viewing is real. Thanks to the movement towards light, inexpensive devices and advances in mobile technology, virtual reality finally has the opportunity for mass appeal.
Today, major companies like Facebook, Samsung, Microsoft and Google are all betting big on virtual reality becoming the next huge platform. It is believed that VR is an opportunity to reset digital advertising. In Q1 of 2016, TechCrunch reported more than $1.2 billion being invested in virtual reality technology. BY 2020, it is expected that more than 52 million headsets conducive to the VR experience will be sold in the US.
Several brands have begun to try out this innovative advertising. In July, United Airlines partnered with Oculus Rift headsets to show of its new Polaris business class with a 360-degree, 3-D virtual tour of all the lux amenities available. Last year, the well-renowned outdoor brand, The North Face, created a virtual dog racing experience in South Korea stores to push sales of winter coats.
Virtual reality creates an experience for customers unlike anything one could get out of a 2-D video. It allows for more opportunity to create an emotional connection with the consumer and build deeper levels of human connection. Virtual reality lets brands take consumers to real or imagined place instantly. Be it a virtual tour, runway show, or sporting event, brands get to be the author of where they take their viewers.
Virtual reality is just one of many new ways to advertise your brand digitally—let us help you strategize and execute how to make the most of the latest advertising platforms. Give us a shout today!
