While brands are using virtual reality (VR) for Christmas promotional marketing, Honda has expanded upon its annual Happy Honda Days campaign with a new VR experience called Candy Cane Lane, bringing the magic of the holidays to patients at Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
Using Oculus Rift head-mounted displays, viewers are sat in a Honda sleigh as it pulls them through a snow-covered neighborhood filled with spectacular holiday light displays. As they travel down the street, the lights and decorations on the houses become more and more extravagant. Bells and harps play throughout the journey as illuminated snowmen and toy soldiers animate to life. After a fireworks finale, the children see reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh. Finally, just as Santa drops a beautifully wrapped gift into their lap in the video, a real gift was being placed in their lap in the hospital.
“This year Honda has the unique privilege of transporting children at CHOC Children’s to a virtual winter wonderland that brings the festive spirit of the holidays to the kids directly,” said Susie Rossick, Assistant Vice President, Honda Auto Marketing. “Seeing the kids’ heartfelt reactions to the experience and being able to bring magic to their hospital stay is especially meaningful during the holidays.”
Honda is generating awareness for the company’s holiday Candy Cane Lane giving program through work on Facebook. A short, documentary-style video of the children’s reactions to their Candy Cane Lane VR experience will be posted on Facebook: http://honda.us/HolidayMagic. For every “like” or “love” the video receives, Honda will donate $1 USD to CHOC Children’s and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, up to a total of $100,000. The video also will be shared on Honda’s YouTube and Twitter channels.
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