Henry Stuart - Virtual Reality Marketing: Using VR to Grow a Brand and Create Impact

To understand where VR will take us, as an exciting tool for marketing or more generally as an exciting new storytelling tool, it is important to learn about the technology and techniques. But more importantly, we have to place VR into a larger cultural context. Henry Stuart has written a must-read primer for anyone trying to understand the sprawling world that is virtual reality marketing, covering a whole range of other topics in the process. Anrick Bregman, founder and director at ANRK (New Realities VR/AR/MR), director at UNIT9 and former director at Guardian News & Media

Henry has written a must-read for anyone in virtual reality, marketing or anyone who is simply curious about the world of VR. Full of insight from the frontline, honest expert opinions and noteworthy case studies, this is an accessible, well-structured and informative book. Read it and youll learn from one of the pioneers of VR marketing a true authority in the field. Ashley Cowan, co-founder and CEO of VR City

In mid-2013, when Palmer Luckys Oculus launched The Rift DK1, a group of creative post-production and film production companies (myself included) snapped one up; sensing that VR and 360 video could be the next frontier in marketing content and potentially provide a lucrative revenue stream. But for most, understanding how to craft engaging stories outside the rectangular frame and across a new 360 canvas presented challenges, previously unconsidered. A whole new toolkit of film-making techniques had to be tried, tested and developed before being able to go to market.

Not Henry. For him, the purchase of the DK1 was merely the next natural step in a journey hed started as far back as 2006 when, as a photographer, he was creating 360 content for clients including The Times, Channel 4, BBC and the London Eye.

This headstart, fuelled by a natural passion for the format, enabled Henry to found his company, Visualise; one of the worlds most respected and prolific VR and 360 video creators.

Henry a kind, happy and friendly spirit thinks, dreams and lives in 360. There is no one better suited, experienced or qualified to write this book. Anyone considering venturing into the world of VR and 360 video would be well advised to start right here. Simon Gosling, futurist at Unruly and 2018 winner of the Campaign Tech Award for New Tech Pioneer of the Year

Using VR to grow a brand and create impact

Henry Stuart

Publishers note

Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book is accurate at the time of going to press, and the publisher and authors cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, however caused. No responsibility for loss or damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action, as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by the editor, the publisher or any of the authors.

First published in Great Britain and the United States in 2019 by Kogan Page Limited

Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licences issued by the CLA. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned addresses:

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Henry Stuart, 2019

The right of Henry Stuart to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

ISBN 978 0 7494 8286 2

E-ISBN 978 0 7494 8287 9

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This book is dedicated to my wife, Sue thank you for your endless patience and support.

WIRED: What is your favourite definition of VR?

Its this notion and this is very hard to express in words and I dont claim that Ive ever succeeded in capturing it that virtual reality is a future trajectory where people get better and better at communicating more and more things in more fantastic and aesthetic ways that becomes this infinite adventure without end thats more interesting than seeking power and destroying everything.

JARON LANIER, VR JUGGANAUT

See more at: www.wired.com/story/jaron-lanier-vr-interview

Henry Stuart is founder and CEO of Visualise, one of the worlds premier virtual reality (VR) studios. He has provided VR content for major events including Wimbledon, the Olympics, and for brands such as Google, The Economist, Audi, Mercedes F1, FT, the BBC, O2, The Times, adidas and Ray-Ban. He is a regular speaker at events and has been published in TheTelegraph, TheIndependent, BBC Online, The Drum, TheGuardian, the Financial Times (FT) and Forbes. Since the launch of the Oculus Rift Headset in 2012, he has focused solely on producing VR and 360 content for marketing, churning out over 150 experiences for brands worldwide.

This book is full of interviews with some of the most fascinating people in the VR industry, and this is who you can expect to find:

One of the pioneers of the VR industry, Waldern was responsible for virtuality in the 1980s and 1990s and was producing branded VR content while most of us were still playing with Lego! He has since gone on to set up DigiLens in Silicon Valley and is pushing huge innovation in augmented reality (AR). He shares some fascinating insights with us from this very unique perspective.

Head of Innovation and Technology at Chime/CSM, Ganjou is a hugely successful entrepreneur and innovation specialist. He has great insight into how brands can use VR and why VR is an important part of any marketing strategy.

Head of UM Studios and Managing Partner, Creative Studios, Universal McCann. Corcoran works with brands to develop bespoke advertising concepts that grow their business. He has his finger on the pulse of the best new technology available for marketing and, crucially, understands when to use it. He is the former Head of Youth from MTV and as such has valuable insight on how the next generations are using content.

Head of Emerging Technologies at AKQA and President of the Cannes Mobile Jury, 2017. At AKQA Hood helps teams and offices globally to identify opportunities to innovate with new and existing clients, and to demonstrate the AKQA process and ethos of understanding, prototyping and applying emerging technologies to clients and consumers in order to solve business problems and create unique opportunities. Hood has worked with VR in some of the first and most ground-breaking projects for brands.