The Virtual Reality of Experiential Marketing

While most marketing experts agree that a memorable experience has a greater impact on audiences than exposure, the latest approach to creating a truly meaningful connection to consumers combines both elements. It can be found in Experiential Marketing that includes virtual reality technology.

71% of consumers think a brand that uses virtual reality is forward-thinking according to @askgreenlight.

“To create a real impact, we, as marketers, have to interrupt the daily lives of our audience. Gamification and virtual reality are a win-win. It provides us with tools that bring our messages to life, and gives our audience a chance to participate in a vibrant experience that can change attitudes and behaviors,” says Victor Noriega, Creative Director at GDC.

Inspired by this marketing approach, GDC has taken experiential marketing and turned it on its head, utilizing the latest technology to impact consumers. Our latest experiential effort resulted in the use of a virtual reality game created for Texas Department of Transportation’s iconic Don’t mess with Texas® campaign.

Using virtual reality technology, we developed a game that immerses users in a photo-real environment where they can actively see, hear, touch and feel their surroundings. It creates a game out of the precise action TxDOT wants from its target audiences – to learn how to properly dispose of litter.

In the game, participants are challenged to pick up virtual trash and toss it into the iconic Don’t mess with Texas trash barrels, earning points for each item deposited. Players are encouraged to share their experience and their game score through their favorite social media channels, leading to a fun competition among friends and foes.

The Don’t mess with Texas virtual reality game has traveled across Texas with more than 20 activations at a variety of venues including NFL football games, local malls, and events including the Southern Fried Chicken Festival, the Texas Valero Open and the 2017 Texas Bowl Game in Houston.

With more than $4 million in total added value generated in 2017, the Don’t mess with Texas campaign is creating virtual experiences that are further expanding the brand while reaching audiences with a message designed to educate and change bad behaviors. As proud Texans, GDC hopes to see a future where the highways and communities of our beautiful state are litter-free, all because someone thought to dispose of that one piece of litter in its rightful place.