The power of virtual reality (VR) and the metaverse is slowly becoming more important in digital marketing, with Aston Martin being one of the latest brands to take this approach. But what does their new campaign involve and what does the future hold for this kind of marketing?
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The Aston Martin Valhalla Experience
This VR campaign is designed to let drivers explore the upcoming Aston Martin Valhalla hybrid supercar and tailor it to their taste instantly. Designed to be a top-end sports car that’s also usable on a day-to-day basis, the new vehicle from the British brand is the result of a collaboration with Red Bull Racing with a commercial release planned for later this year.
To showcase the new car, Aston Martin has used Nvidia’s CloudXT tech teamed with the 3D product visualisation platform created by Zerolight. This platform was set up for the public to view at Monterey Car Week, using a VR headset to discover all the car’s details and choose the specifications they want while sitting inside a virtual representation or standing outside it.
While the approach is an interesting way to let potential buyers work out what they want from their own Valhalla, it’s worth noting that it also serves as a clever marketing tactic designed to spread the word about this model. The company also confirmed recently that they’ve opened a new flagship showroom in New York where visitors can see their cars in a presentation that blends the real world with digital technology.
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The Growing Importance of Immersive Technology
VR, the metaverse, and augmented reality (AR) are all used in various industries to help brands connect with their clients. A good example can be seen when we enter an online casino and find a mixture of slots and table games. The live section contains games such as roulette and baccarat, with players placing their bets and then watching live human dealers hand out the cards or spin the wheel on their screens. This technology makes games more immersive and some also use AR to blend the real and digital words further.
The importance of the metaverse in marketing can also be seen with the news that Karta has recently secured £85o,000 in funding. The London-based start-up company chooses a strategy and a platform (such as Decentraland or Roblox) on which to promote the brands that they represent, with Amazon Music and Unilever among those that they’ve worked with in the past.
Since technology like the metaverse is still at an early stage, it’s not yet clear exactly what role marketing will play in it, but it’s expected to be an important new way of running campaigns. We’ve seen events such as Metaverse Fashion Week, which was held earlier this year in Decentraland. Despite the presence of many big fashion brands, some poor reviews pointed out that the event was poorly-attended, difficult to navigate, and lacked atmosphere.
It’s clear that there have been some teething problems with brands looking to operate in the metaverse, but with brands like Aston Martin now starting to see the benefit of immersive digital marketing, this is a subject we can expect to become increasingly important before long.