• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, February 1, 2018

Minneapolis-based digital agency Ciceron and its client Be The Match are taking advantage of the spotlight on the city leading up to the Super Bowl this coming Sunday. They are behind a virtual-reality exhibit that highlights the mission of the client—matching those in need of marrow transplants with donors. 

The two companies enlisted Visual VR to help produce the experience, which is on display at Super Bowl Live, a 10-day Minneapolis festival designed to showcase all that’s going on—culturally and businesswise—in the city and state.

The exhibit, said to be the only VR experience at Super Bowl Live that supports a nonprofit cause, encourages attendees to don virtual reality goggles and use a giant swab to find their genetic match to better understand the need for diversity on the bone marrow registry. 

A marrow transplant from a matching donor is often the only potential cure for those facing blood cancers and other blood disorders. According to the agency, white patients in need have a 77% chance of finding a match on the registry, while African Americans have only a 23% chance. 

“Much has been made of virtual reality as the next frontier for digital,” stated Andrew Eklund, founder and CEO at Ciceron. “The question becomes, how can we best use VR so that it serves a purpose beyond the newest engagement technology? For Be The Match, we’ve taken the experience beyond brand exposure and into education for their life-saving cause.” 

“We knew that Super Bowl Live would be prime time for local awareness, but when it comes to the need for diversity on the marrow registry, we also knew that we needed something that went beyond traditional marketing tactics,” added Amy Alegi, vice president, marketing at Be The Match.

“We collaborated with Ciceron to deliver this fully immersive experience, and have already seen the spark it inspires in many to join the registry and ultimately save a life,” she noted.