We’re turning a really big corner. It’s fast and it’s gonna get weird1

How virtual reality can massively change the connection with a brand

Chris Chatfield, Brand Director, BWD

1 Jonnie Ross, VRLA

Virtual reality. VR. That weird headset thing, along with grunge, Britpop, Cali, huge jeans, combats, Jordans, the Walkman, wassup, The Matrix. We all got so excited about VR in the 90s! It was going to change everything. Except it didn’t. It vanished. So what’s the deal? What happened? And why is everyone talking about it again now. Doesn’t this all feel a bit Groundhog Day?

*That is, those of us who remember the 90s 2

What is virtual reality?

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In technical terms, it is a three-dimensional, computer generated environment which can be explored and interacted with by a person.

Apollo 11 VR trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOHM8gnin8Y 4

The term was first coined by Harvard University’s Ivan Sutherland who created the first VR headset in 1968.

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However, most people became aware of VR in the 90s when it was touted as ‘the next big thing’...

Film: The Lawnmower Man (‘92)

Unreleased Sega VR (‘93)

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... but expensive hardware, lacklustre processing speeds meant poor experiences, which killed that version of virtual reality.

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Why the renewed interest in VR?

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Thinglink: http://demo.thinglink.com/vr-editor

Technology is making it easier to produce simple VR experiences

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Processing power is vastly better, making VR experiences more immersive

Qantas360 video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LltbuEts1BE 10

Hardware is accessible with numerous headsets available at price points to suit people’s budgets*

Google Cardboard$15

Google Daydream$95

Oculus Rift$549

HTC Vive$799

Samsung Gear VR$50

Sony Playstation VR$399

Fove O$599

$0 $000

* Approximate prices shown11

And, importantly, you don’t have to view a lot of VR with a headset. There are alternative methods that most people already own...

PC and mouse Mobile and fingers12

How is VR being applied in business?

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To create unrivalled empathy in storytellingTom’s shoes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz5vQs9iXCs 14

To give educational experiences that aren’t possible in the real worldTitans of Space virtual tour

https://haptic.al/10-virtual-reality-apps-transforming-education-dc7586badb9a#.bkz04pxqi 15

To help health and safety trainingNORCAT (Norther Centre for Advanced Technology Inc.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gKznb6l_BU(See also: http://www.niea.unsw.edu.au/research/projects/construction-safety-virtual-reality-training-brookfield-multiplex) 16

To promote tourism by virtually taking people to other countriesTourism Ireland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVigoyrmcC0 17

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVNylwQRUQM

To foster lifestyles behind the brandsMercedes

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVsEb9vla-I

To assist customers with purchasing choicesLowe’s

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVsEb9vla-I

To give customers an alternative shopping experienceeBay/Myer

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Why should brands adopt VR?

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Brands can form a deeper sense of interaction and empathy if they use VR sensitively.*

There’s strong evidence that consumers feel more connected to,

and have more positive emotional feelings

towards, brands that adopt VR.

53%of consumers say they

are more likely to purchase from a brand

that sponsors a VR experience

52%of consumers agree

they’d like to be associated with that

brand

62%of consumers agree

they’d like to be associated with that

brand

71%of consumers

agree a brand that sponsors VR is

forward-thinking and modern

* Source: http://www.greenlightinsights.com/22

In 2016, everyone was (rightly) talking about video as a big trend. VR is a natural progression that makes an even stronger emotional connection with customers.

AMPC video: http://feastofideas.com 23

It’s a new industry that is about to boom. Being an early adopter gives a brand an advantage over competitors.

$1bnindustry in 2016

$150bnindustry in 2021 (allegedly) 24

It’s going to be the next computing platform. Organisations and brands need to pay attention now to avoid being left behind.*

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 20200

25

20

15

10

5

Dev

ices

ship

ped

(mill

ions

)

* Source: BI Intelligence25

*We’ve purposely not shown tech companies who are creating VR hardware

Think it’s only startup and tech brands using it? You’d be wrong. These are just some major brands already using VR:*

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In fact...

78%Number of companies expected

to be using VR by 2020*

34%of companies have already

implemented VR to some extent** Source: Oracle

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People are going to have the ability to step inside content and experience things

in a new, vastly more powerful way – as if it were real.

The proposition organisations need to understand

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And if you think this is all pushing boundaries,

here’s where it gets really weird...

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Haptics

Recreates the sense of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the user. Own a new iPhone? The home button is a haptic device. 30

The metaverseA collective virtual shared space where people, as avatars, interact with each other

and with software, in a three-dimensional space 31

With sites like AltspaceVR, VRChat, High Fidelity and VTime, people are using the VR metaverse for social and business use...

https://altvr.com/ 32

But, of course, some things will never change...

...you can still get Rickrolledhttps://altvr.com/ 33

HEADING

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t +61 2 9488 3200 e hello@bwdcreative.com.au w bwdcreative.com.au

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