As VR entertainment and experiences continue to grow each year, the growth of VR advertisements seems inevitable—but will they be immersive or interruptive?
This past week, Unity Technologies unveiled key components of its advertising strategy, notably including the “Virtual Room,” a customizable mini app for brands to create their own integrated experiences. In seeking to further the conversation around how creators can monetize their content, this effort marks a clear progression of the company’s stated mission of democratizing development for creators in the XR landscape.
“What [Virtual Room is] not is a micro app that a creator spends millions and millions of dollars distributing,” said Julie Shumaker, Unity Vice President of business development of advertising in June at Unite Europe 2017. “…[T]hink of it as an easter egg or a hidden target behind the wall. The user chooses to follow Alice through the looking glass.”
The Virtual Room will be a part of the storyline, play for 30-60 seconds, and players have the option to explore in an exchange for some type of reward or benefit.
The new Virtual Room is being launched in partnership with Lionsgate for a new interactive VR ad promoting Jigsaw, the newest film in the Saw horror series.
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Source: VRScout