Jeep and the World Surfing League (WSL) have partnered to release a 360-degree video choose-your-own-adventure experience.
“Jeep Sessions: A Surfing Journey in 360” literally places users in the passenger seat with pro surfer Jordy Smith in his 2018 Jeep Wrangler or Malia Manual in her Jeep Renegade as they drive around Oahu, Hawaii.
Consumers can view the experiences on YouTube or by downloading the official app for iOS, Android or Oculus Gear. Developed by Rapid VR, the app version of “A Surfing Journey in 360” offers choices and interactive elements that users can activate by focusing on certain objects.
The 360-degree activation continues Jeep’s ongoing partnership with WSL that highlights both vehicles and pro surfers to the public. For those attending in person, the VR experience will be available at WSL events throughout the year.
Rapid VR has experience filming 360-degree videos of surfing, having developed “Get Barreled In Tahiti” with Samsung in 2015.
For brands, 360-degree video has become a popular way to showcase products and ideas without the need for expensive VR rigs. Allowing users to make choices throughout the experience encourages repeat viewing to see all the outcomes.
A few major activations have popped up: last year, an Expedia created a 360-degree experience for San Antonio, TX that allowed users to choose locations to explore on a virtual vacation. And in 2016, Liberty Mutual Insurance launched a campaign on Facebook that offered choices after a user’s virtual car broke down in the woods.
Google recently found that 360-degree video ads outperformed standard videos in terms of click-through rates and engagement. A 360 ad for Columbia Sportswear drove 41 percent more earned actions than the standard ad and drove more engagement with Columbia’s YouTube channel.
