Benz recruits virtual reality for campaigns
In recent months, MercedesBenz South Africa (MBSA) has embarked on a number of virtual reality campaigns through its visual effects and animation agency, Sinister Studio.
The agency has developed four test-drive videos, with the first showcasing their new range of coupés and the second the new MercedesBenz E-Class. Both of these utilised technology to profile the cars’ features in ways not previously possible.
The Mercedes-AMG C 63 is also being tested at high speed at the Kyalami racetrack. Again, computer graphics and 360-degree film combined to create a fantastical experience.
The producers later superimposed F1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton into the test drive – another first.
The success of this approach is entirely due to the technology that was used.
The fourth phase was to launch the new range of roadsters and cabriolets by bringing to life the sense of childlike wonder embodied in the range, and appealing to the emotions of the brand’s fan base, both young and old.
The agency decided to use virtual reality to expand on the automobile’s global television campaign, and its popular #LookUp campaign. They pushed the boundaries of what virtual reality had been used in the past and made an experience based on fantasy.
“The tricky part of filming cars,” says Christian van der Walt, Sinister’s CEO, “is that there are lighting and depth of field issues to reconcile. When filming, the interior of a vehicle is generally darker than the environment it’s being driven in and this needs to be compensated for. So what we did was use a pod of cameras to shoot a 360-degree view of the outside world and then we completely created the cars’ interiors with computer graphics.
“This allowed us to seamlessly integrate the two aspects.
“But the fourth video – featuring the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet – pulled all the elements together in an overlay of characters, fantasy and animation that we’ve never seen done before.
“This digital world is truly experiential and allows viewers to feel as if they are the protagonist of the journey.
“Our video incorporates fantasy creatures, similar to those in the global commercial, which takes the entire virtual experience to the next level.”
As a teaser, Sinister Studios filmed a short video featuring three children and a dog in the back of a cabriolet.
The children were asked how they felt driving in the vehicle and what they saw when they were asked to #LookUp – and their responses were amazing.
“Animals without feet” and “it feels like I’m on a bubble that’s flying away”.
Their thoughts and words were used in the virtual reality to physically portray what they saw and express how they felt.