During product launches you need to grab the attention of the target audience. Marketing using VR has changed the game. Both world famous brands and small niche market companies have turned to virtual reality to breath life into their marketing campaigns. From new product launches to modernising old brands, marketing with VR has proven to be a great tool for professional marketeers. Here are ten successful examples of product marketing using virtual reality. We also wrote a artical about how VR Sync is used for marketing campaigns.

1. Audi

Auto manufacturers and virtual reality are a match made in heaven. The Audi Sandbox promotion features the Q5 model in a virtual desert, ready for a test drive. Unlike a real ride, this time children were also allowed to take a seat behind the wheel. And adults would feel like a kid again playing in a sandbox playing this immersive presentation. With product launches you will have to provide more information compared to promoting existing products. Marketing in VR helps to show any new product or service without using any words.

2. Birdly

This game lets the player fly over New York like a bird. To make the presentation more immersive a wind machine was used, and players had to flap their wings like a bird. A special, human sized controller was used that resembled an ironing board with movable wings to create the feeling of actually flying like a bird.

3. Cirque du Soleil

The artistic acrobats of Cirque du Soleil are world famous. But most people are more familiar with the brand than the actual shows they perform. Therefore they created several short performances to compliment live shows, this time filmed with a 360 camera. The videos were so successful that they were released as a commercial VR app for mobile devices.

4. Coca Cola

This famous soft drink brand was early with marketing in VR, and produced several innovative projects featuring virtual reality. They created a factory tour that turned into a dance fest where viewers were invited to join. They also designed a virtual sleigh ride during Christmas. Although Coke is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, they need to keep innovating in order to stay relevant. Marketing in VR achieves this goal.

5. Honda Civic

This is another automobile brand that uses VR for marketing purposes. For an event in Thailand they commissioned 1000 Google Cardboard smartphone holders which allowed attendees to watch a Kiosk mode 360 video on their own device. Printed Cardboards have been very successful in VR marketing as they travel far beyond the original venue and are shared with family and friends.

6. Jon Lewis

The Buster’s Garden Experience used VR goggles in a real life garden. Not only did the surroundings match the VR presentation, the headsets were placed inside large (fake) animal heads to great effect. Players walked around like furry characters, which was also a sight to behold for the audience in the store. Campaigns that combine a virtual presentation with real life elements tend to be appreciated the most.

7. Mountain Dew

This brand falls under the umbrella of the Pepsi company. Although they don’t market the soft drink as a sport drinks, they do use athletes to promote the brand. With a series of extreme sports videos in 360 degrees, Mountain Dew enters an ‘extreme’ marketing arena previously dominated by Red Bull. Marketing in VR allowed the brand to place customers in the shoes of their famous Influencers for maximum impact.

8. Mountainside

When selling premium homes you also have to design a premium campaign. The standard Google Cardboard smartphone holders were deemed too ‘cheap’, so Mountainside opted for a more luxurious model to distribute among prospective buyers. They also produced immersive videos showcasing their winter homes, to be shown worldwide.

9. Old Irish

The Irish are known for many things, most of them not exactly positive. Beer brand Old Irish took their negative image head-on and commissioned a 360 virtual reality video that was equal parts funny, scary and memorable. The “Virtual Journy to Irland” as it was called, combined video with real life stunt work for a viral effect. First the viewer would see the Irish landscape, but it soon turned sour with an aggressive actor appearing. After removing the headset it turned out this person was actually there, ready to attack unsuspecting participants for a memorable conclusion to the show.

10. Star Wars

Product launches are not limited to tangible products, movies also benefit from VR marketing. The second Star Wars trilogy was a commercial success, but both critics and fans were not too pleased with the direction George Lucas took the famous Sci Fi franchise in. During the marketing of the latest series of Star Wars films, the marketing team went to great lengths to showcase the attention to detail in this continuation. VR games, 360 set visits and more methods were used to show the ever expanding Star Wars universe in an immersive setting.