Why Product Launches Will Never Be The Same Again

Earlier this week, in LA, we created a little bit of history. We took the traditional concept car reveal and turned it on it’s head - literally causing the jaws to drop of the 400 people who experienced the reveal. It’s exhilarating to be behind a project which has re-defined the product launch. Pulling a dust sheet off a car is never going to cut it again. 

REWIND launched Jaguar’s new I-PACE concept car in a truly unique way. The amount of technical layers, the detail and precision needed to pull this off had never been seen before. It was epic: 66 connected Vives delivering a multi-user social VR experience over two continents, three live-streamed presenters and one virtual electric concept car. 

VR is no newcomer to the automotive industry, but previous experiences have been gimmicks, lacking real substance. What we did for Jaguar goes beyond just a car show stunt, instead we took people into a story experience that was so powerful and authentic it will create a lasting memory. The experience won’t be forgotten, and most importantly, nor will the car.  This is the power and beauty of VR, and this is why, from this moment on, any serious marketer should be considering how they can use VR to make an impression, a lasting impression that surpasses anything that can be created in any other medium. 

The reviews speak for themselves...

Mashable described it as the “showroom of the future”. 

Vrscout.com said we’d struck “VR gold”. 

Autocar.co.uk, previously a VR skeptic was converted: “...this was without a doubt the coolest car launch I’ve ever attended in the real world or the virtual one...the scale and ambition of Jaguar’s effort was certainly on a different level to any VR stunt I’ve experienced before.”

We convinced uploadvr.com... “I really do not believe that product launches will ever be the same again.”

REWIND always pushes the boundaries of what is possible and stays true to its passion for innovation and experimentation. This project was beyond anything that has ever been attempted before, and sets a hugely challenging benchmark for anyone looking to follow it. 

With the inclusion of social interaction and a live presenter broadcast into a single VR world, groups in both LA and London were able to fully communicate and interact with one another, all whilst watching I-PACE designers Ian Callum and Ian Hoban explain both the design process and technology behind the forward-thinking concept car. Created in collaboration with Imagination and supported by HTC and Dell, this unique and world-first ‘social VR’ reveal is believed to be the largest live and connected VR event of its type to date.  

There is no doubt in my mind that we are in the midst of a watershed moment in how brands engage consumers with their latest products, and that VR has a huge role to play, not only in the launch itself, but the marketing and purchasing around them - whether in the automotive, real-estate, or commercial products / lifestyle sectors. VR can allow any brand to give customers a ‘virtual test drive’ of its product. This new and immersive platform allows them an enhanced understanding of the product, and to make legitimate decisions about it, much more than simply ‘whetting’ their appetite for what’s coming to market.

Sol Rogers is CEO & Founder of REWIND