ALONE: THE OCULUS RIFT EXPERIENCE

TitleALONE: THE OCULUS RIFT EXPERIENCE
BrandAETN ASIA
Product / ServiceTV SHOW
CategoryC06. Publications & Media
EntrantGOVT SINGAPORE Singapore, SINGAPORE
Entrant Company GOVT SINGAPORE Singapore, SINGAPORE
Advertising Agency GOVT SINGAPORE Singapore, SINGAPORE
Production Company BHD FILMS Singapore, SINGAPORE

Credits

Name Company Position
Aaron Koh GOVT Singapore Executive Creative Director
Louis Li GOVT Singapore Art Director
Marilyn Poh GOVT Singapore Copywriter
Ashlynn Sum GOVT Singapore Creative Group Head
Lucas Burrows Untitled Project Digital Creative
Hogan Burrows Untitled Project Digital Creative
Warren Mackenzie Untitled Project Digital Cretive
Leon Lai GOVT Singapore Business Director
Tenny Ker Untitled Project Digital Project Manager
Jason Tay BHD Films DoP
Sarah Yap GOVT Singapore Senior Account Executive

Brief Explanation

Alone is a new series from History Channel that pushes the boundaries of reality television, putting the survival instincts of 10 men to the test, facing isolation in a harsh and unforgiving terrain. We were tasked to create an engaging launch event for the program, to build interest for the show among the target audience in Malaysia and Philippines markets, aged 25 to 55 years old.

The Brief

Viewers do not believe reality TV is real anymore. We need to convince people that Alone is different from the other reality TV offerings. Fear is a primal instinct that everyone can relate to, and the main theme to Alone. By bringing the same fear from the show to our potential viewers, we would give audiences a first-hand experience and create a lasting and unforgettable impression.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

The activation was warmly received by the public. Some queued for close to an hour just to get their chance to experience it. Word got around that History Channel's Alone Oculus Rift experience was coming to their city and even the gaming community came down to be a part of the experience. After the two activations and the launch of the series, Alone premiered #1 in Thailand, top 3 in Malaysia and Philippines, and 127% above regional prime time average. The campaign garnered 1.4 million views on History Asia’s Facebook page, where engagement rate increased by 8 times. But most of all, reality TV became real again as people experienced the raw and gritty elements of Alone.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

To bring Alone to life through virtual reality, we used Oculus Rift headsets allow viewers to experience the isolation and survival in the wild, just like the contestants of the show. Production and approval took a total of 6 weeks. We moved all equipment to Malaysia for the activation over the same weekend, and then Manila for the next. These activations were completed in time before the show's premiere. At each activation, a pop-up tent was placed at shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur and Manila. Within the tent, visitors entered the "wild" where they were introduced to essential survival tools, similar to those that the contestants have in the show. They then step into the contestants’ shoes through an immersive virtual reality experience with Oculus Rift headsets, that was accompanied by 4D elements such as wind and smell, conjuring the fears that they face when being alone in the wild.