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Captain Risky goes virtual with Google Cardboard ad-within-an-ad for Budget Direct

Budget Direct has jumped on the virtual reality bandwagon to create an ad within an ad for its latest Captain Risky TVC.

The work by 303Lowe is one of the first of what is expected to be a flood of experimental VR campaigns globally, as agencies and their clients test the potential of the new medium.

Ride with Risky – 360° Virtual Reality Experience!Budget Direct is excited to present the world’s first “People Participation Virtual Reality advert”! Watch this and then enter our competition to win 1 of 1000 Google Cardboard Virtual Reality Viewers. Click here for more details www.budgetdirect.com.au/win

Posted by Budget Direct on Monday, 11 January 2016

With devices ranging from the minimalist Google Cardboard to Samsung’s VR accessory for it phones already in market and devices from Sony, Oculus and Microsoft poised to be released, the platform is now being seriously considered by many brands.

Budget Direct released the VR version of its latest Captain Risky campaign on Monday, creating a version to be viewed using a Google Cardboard device and another 360 degree version that can be viewed through an android device or a normal browser window.

The film lets viewers ride alongside Captain Risky as he performs the double helix jump stunt that was the feature of the brand’s latest ad launched just a few weeks ago by 303Lowe.

The concept takes the idea of a “behind the scenes” video to a new level, building an added level of engagement with the campaign.

As part of the VR campaign, Budget Direct has launched a promotion that has a hidden entry code buried within the VR version, giving people the chance to win a Google Cardboard.

Kerr said VR ad was a last minute decision

Kerr said VR ad was a last minute decision

Budget Direct head of marketing and digital, Jonathan Kerr, told Mumbrella the idea of developing the VR ad-within-an-ad had been a last minute decision made on the set.

“It was literally 2 o’clock in the morning in the stadium where were were filming and we thought there must be something more we can do with this,” said Kerr.

Kerr admitted that the last minute decision added a hefty amount to the budget, but just a day after releasing the VR version it was already paying dividends on social media.

“To our knowledge, no one has made a TVC and then come out with a VR version,” he said.

Kerr said the addition to the campaign had created a new type of engagement with consumers, inviting them to literally ride along with the brand.

Since being posted on Facebook on Monday the 360 video has had nearly 210,000 views.

VR has had a slow and at times challenging start with brands and has largely been confined to activation experiences rather than being available as portable experiences through mobile.

Last year NRMA won a number of awards for its Crash Test installation that placed people in a car with a VR headset to experience what it was like to be in a major accident.

Others that have dabbled in VR include AMP shopping Centres allowing people to take virtual voyages, while the city of Brisbane also created a VR experience to lure Sydneysiders north of the Tweed.

The Australian Maritime Museum has also dabbled in VR for mobiles, creating a 360 experience of a submarine tour for phones, but also developing a travelling VR experience using Samsung’s Oculus device to take to schools.

Simon Canning

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