ad: Annual 2024 Now Open For Entries!
*

Cheil and Samsung use VR to help people conquer their fears

Published by

Cheil Worldwide are asking people to conquer their deepest fears with the help of virtual reality technology in the Samsung #BeFearless campaign, which focuses on the common fears of public speaking and heights. The campaign seeks to empower young people to face these inner fears that can be a barrier in their daily lives, with the help of the immersive experience of virtual reality using the affordable, but deceptively powerful Samsung Gear VR.

*

Samsung and Cheil held virtual reality training sessions to discover how an exposure to challenging situations through virtual experience can help people master their fears in real life. 27 people were selected from over 7,500 applicants to take part in a four-week training course, after which the participants were ready to face their fears, and celebrated their achievement by tackling situations which they never thought possible before, either by speaking in front of a large crowd at a theatre or by tackling a high-octane zip line ride.

Be Fearless of Heights

Wain Choi, CCO at Cheil Worldwide, said: “This generation does not define themselves by what they have, but by what they do. They are experience seekers who want to discover new and amazing things; live experiences they never thought possible. Through Samsung Gear VR, anyone can reach their full potential. We all have what it takes inside us, but sometimes, we can use a little help.”

*

Moon-Soo Kim, EVP at Samsung Electronics, added: “We have been overwhelmed by the fantastic response we’ve had from young people to the #BeFearless program. It has been an incredibly moving experience to see these individuals face what scares them the most and persevere, to go beyond what they believed they were capable of. I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed to #BeFearless, and look forward to see their next journey.”

Through Samsung Gear VR, anyone can reach their full potential. We all have what it takes inside us, but sometimes, we can use a little help”

*

Fear of public speaking is a truly crippling debilitation that can hold people back from leading successful social and professional lives, while fear of heights can limit people’s boundaries. Participants were trained in three different scenarios at different levels of difficulty. To advance to the next level, they had to pass each stage.

*

The evaluation was based on several scientific and medically proven criteria such as heart rate (measured with the Samsung Gear S smart watch), eye movement and self-assessment of anxiety levels.For people afraid of public speaking, they started with speaking in a small setting like a school debate, followed by a job interview or team meeting, and culminating in speaking to a large crowd in a virtual environment. Those who were afraid of heights experienced travelling up a transparent elevator, cliff driving and a skywalk around a skyscraper.

Be Fearless of Public Speaking

The success of the #BeFearless program is backed up by the latest research by doctors at the Yonsei University Gangnam Severance Hospital in South Korea, who achieved a success rate of nearly 90 percent in reducing 82 participants’ anxiety of public speaking and heights through VR training programs. In just two weeks, #BeFearless VR training helped 87.5% of the group who are afraid of heights to reduce their anxiety level by 23.6%. Even a larger number (88.1%) of a group of people who have fear of public speaking managed to reduce their anxiety levels by 18.7% thanks to #BeFearless program.

*

#BeFearless is part of the larger “Launching People” campaign, which is a search for innovative ideas that can demonstrate how powerful technology can be when it comes to solving real challenges that society faces. One of its most successful campaigns so far is “Look at Me,” a mobile application developed by Samsung and Cheil Worldwide to help autistic children learn to make eye contact and read facial expressions using smart devices. Full details of the campaign can be found at the bespoke Launching People website, and at Samsung brand pages across social channels including Facebook and YouTube.

*

Comments

More Leaders

*

Leaders

Inspiring Female Leaders: An Interview with RAPP CEO Gabrielle Ludzker

Gabrielle Ludzker is not just any CEO. The current head honcho at customer experience agency RAPP has spent her career breaking away from the traditional corporate CEO stereotype. and leads to inspire rule breakers. Gabby is an inspirational rule...

Posted by: Benjamin Hiorns
ad: Annual 2024 Now Open For Entries!