Advertising can be fake for many consumers; but experiences are real.
With its thinking as a backdrop, Momentum Worldwide has been
using virtual reality for marketing efforts to connect with consumers.
In speaking at OMMA Chicago, Matt Denten, midwest executive creative director for Momentum
Worldwide, says for its client, the U.S. Army, it puts people in flight simulators; and for the U.S. Open, it used virtual reality to allow people to play tennis pro Maria Sharapova.
“You would hold a digital racket and try to return her serve -- and they were fast serves,” says Denten. “It was difficult. Now, I could tell you it was fast -- or I could
have you experience it so you could feel how hard it is.”
In that regard, he says, “VR is the perfect medium for storytellers... Participation is real; there is an
emotional connection.”
The downside? VR is still an expensive medium, says Melissa Hamilton, director of integrated production for Momentum. “It’s a
different medium". No matter. She said: “We want to encourage you to create a culture of makers.”