Virtual reality and augmented reality have certainly become buzzworthy topics nowadays, with curiosity and excitement about these immersive experiences growing steadily.
But so far, marketers have been somewhat cautious with investing in AR and VR tech.
One likely reason for marketers’ hesitation, at least as far as VR advertising goes, is the fact that the potential customer needs to own some sort of VR headset. And some of the hardware needed for experiencing VR and AR can be quite expensive.
Still, pricey as these gadgets may be, there are signs that suggest ongoing interest on the consumers’ part. In fact, a study found that there were more VR headset users than there were for tablets and wearables during the same stage of tech development. What’s more, global revenue predictions for AR and VR point to as high as $547 billion by 2024.
6 Examples of Great Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Ads
Let’s take a look at a few brands that successfully incorporated AR and VR into their campaigns:
1. Oreo Takes You to a Scrumptious Wonderland
Oreo’s parent company, Mondelēz, partnered with 360i in creating the VR campaign to advertise their cupcake-flavored variety of cookies.
This VR video by Oreo leaves you with a major case of the munchies as it takes you to a world of milk rivers and hills seemingly made of chocolate.
2. Vespa Takes Pop-Up Books to a Whole New Level
Experimenting with augmented reality even before the rise of Pokémon GO, Vespa released an AR magazine ad that showed a 3D model of a scooter if you scanned the page with your phone. It had fun features such as the ability to customize the scooter and even take it for a test drive.
3. Virgin Holidays Brings Tourists to Their Next Vacation with 360 VR Resorts
Virgin Holidays showcases a great example of how VR tech can enhance marketing techniques. Using a special 360-degree rig, GoPro cameras, and Google Cardboard tech, the brand created an immersive tour where customers could experience different sights in Riviera Maya, Mexico.
The virtual reality tour shows what they can do and see in these exotic destinations, like swimming with dolphins or hiking on the ruins and cliffs.
As former trading marketing manager for the brand, Sunna van Kampen explained, travel largely involves a visual decision-making process. That is why Virgin Holidays used technology to capture what brochures and guides cannot – immersive visceral and emotive experiences that can help customers choose their destination.
4. Dutch Lady Promotes Their Milk Products Through Augmented Reality
A popular dairy brand in Asia, Dutch Lady, aimed to create an interactive augmented reality experience for children and families.
Customers can point their devices at any Dutch Lady milk pack, and the app will trigger a pop-up animation of the character Matt in his farm in Holland. Matt and his cow, Bella, will then talk about the product. Users can take pictures together with these characters, or collect bonus toys that can be seen in animated form in this AR experience.
5. Netflix Takes You Inside a Beast of an Obstacle Course
Last year, Netflix promoted its first reality show competition, Ultimate Beastmaster, with an interesting virtual reality ad.
In the ad, the streaming giant demonstrates a VR obstacle course inside the “beast,” a superstructure designed like the interior of an animal. Showing the obstacles like Spinal Descent and Digestive Tract, the VR experience allows you to get a feel of what it’s like to be an actual contestant.
6. Coca-Cola Brings Out the Spirit of the Holidays with AR
Coca-Cola is a company that has never been afraid to try something new. Among Coca-Cola’s various ventures into AR and VR was their augmented reality app, Magic. The app allowed you to scan posters from select places in order to access various holiday-themed interactions. For example, you could scan a Coca-Cola logo on the ground of some shopping malls and have Santa appear.
Virtual reality and augmented reality are changing the way brands advertise and connect with customers. With these technologies consistently sparking people’s interest, it’s only a matter of time before all advertisers make AR and VR ads the norm.
