As part of our continued coverage of the Dubai Lynx International Festival of Creativity, which is celebrating its 10th birthday this year, Creativepool founder Michael Tomes sat down with Rod Findley, Executive Creative Director at global creative agency C2K. Rod is a man with a keen sense of storytelling and a unique insight into the potential applications of virtual reality in the industry, having recently completed ground-breaking projects for Toyota and AbbVie in China and the Middle East respectively.
“The issue with VR right now is that a lot of people look at it as a gimmick and are just tacking it on to their campaigns, not really understanding what they could do with it”
Rod was at Lynx to give a talk on the tech stage about his favourite subject, VR, and to explain how he feels VR should be used as a marketing tool going forward. Whilst he felt that many marketers were not yet taking full advantage of the platform, he is also incredibly passionate about the medium and what it could mean for the future of the industry.
“VR needs to be woven into the fabric of a campaign, and that’s something that Google Cardboard gives you the ability to do”
Rod’s goal for the talk was to underline the “Eight drivers” that he feels make up a good potential VR piece, and many of these drivers, he explained, are actually fairly basic. He feels that a good VR marketing piece needs to be “Submersive, interactive and memorable,” and that VR can trigger emphatic reactions in consumers that no other medium is capable of, telling a brand’s story in a more immediate, relatable way by acting almost as a “Proxy for real life.”
“I’m telling brands that this is the time to be a leader in VR and really jump into it, because three or four years from now it’ll just be the lingua franca of the market”
Rod also talks enthusiastically about his work with Toyota, and explains how C2K was able to use VR as a memorable, engaging way to show off the safety features of their latest car. He explains how he saw consumers having physical reactions to the VR activation, which took them on a test drive with a crash test dummy, and how they were able to adapt the experience for the Google Cardboard hardware, which Rod feels is product (along with the Samsung Gear) that will allow VR activations to make the necessary move out of the event space or the show room and into our homes. Don’t take our word for it either, as if you have access to your own VR equipment, you can download the experience for yourself HERE.
“Could you imagine if you could be in your home, and be completely immersed in a showroom without having to drive a half hour to your local Ikea?”
You can find the full interview below or via our official Soundcloud page, where you can also find all of the other interviews Michael has been conducting during his time in the UAB. To keep on top of all upcoming Dubai Lynx news, gossip and insight, meanwhile, be sure to check back with us as the festival continues to offer up its spoils. As official festival partners, we couldn't be better placed to offer the best news as and when it happens!