Metamucil, Australia’s number one fibre supplement brand, has taken a step into virtual reality (VR) to help education views on the journey their pills take through the digestive system and how they keep things ticking over smoothly.
The experience, titled Gutland, was shown off as a first-of-its-kind pop-up event hosted at the Darling Harbor, Sydney yesterday. Viewers were invited to be part of a journey in a highly stylized and gamified digestive system, moving through the mouth, stomach and intestines. Participants were able to take on a series of challenges before finally exiting out the back door, so to speak.
Andrew Crowe, brand manager, P&G Healthcare, ANZ said: “For decades, Metamucil has been in households across the country. Everyone knows why fibre is important but not everyone really knows why. The creation of Metamucil in Gutland is a way of communicating the crucial role of fibre in supporting gut health and regularity in a truly exciting, innovative and interactive way.”
Gutland was also set up as a green-screen experience which allowed users to record a mixed reality (MR) video of their journey for sharing on social media. The combination of interactive, gamified challenges within an educational VR experience, all wrapped up in stylized visuals allowed for a truly unique event.
“The VR experiences now possible in the home are extraordinary,” said Diesel Immersive founder, Daniel Sim Lind, “but while you can see a 3D world around you, when it comes to touch you’re limited to holding game-style controllers. What sets Metamucil’s Gutland experience apart is that you can physically touch everything you see in the VR world. Everything you place your hands on real world is exactly matched by virtual objects inside Gutland. With P&G’s support we have built the world’s most tactile VR experience, with dozens of touchable and tracked objects.”
The Gutland VR experience is another example of how companies are looking to embrace the latest technology to help not just promote their brands, but also build memorable, engaging events that build talking points and help to build audience relationships with VR.
VRFocus will be sure to bring you at the latest on Gutland as it develops so stay tuned for more.