Project Summary
Facebook Innovations wants to show the world that Facebook is not only a social media platform. Nearing 2017, Facebook and Jack Morton Worldwide orchestrated a nationwide virtual reality takeover spanning major cities and key airports. Facebook’s goal was to highlight their ownership of Palmer Lucky’s prized company Oculus by using the newly launched Samsung Gear VR headset and Samsung Galaxy smartphones.
In addition to the virtual reality demos, Facebook played videos showcasing a.i. technology designed for the visually impaired and their Aquila Web drone.
Project Title: Wanna try VR?
Role: Operations Manager, Experience Manager, Senior Producer,
Team Members: Kirsten McKay, Jerryn Currie
Tools: G-Suite, Office 365, FotoOpp, Concur
Project Duration: 1.5 Years
The Client
Have you heard? Oculus is a brand of Facebook Technologies, LLC, a subsidiary of Facebook Inc. Now based in Menlo Park, it specializes in virtual reality hardware and software products. The company partnered with Samsung to develop the Samsung Gear VR in November 2015 for the Samsung Galaxy smartphones. Zuckerberg aimed to have 1 billion virtual reality headsets in consumers' hands.
Vendors Involved
Creative Agency - Jack Morton Worldwide
Deliverable Fabricator - Craftsmen Industries
Freight DOT Supplier - Experiential Events Group
Talent Recruiters - Elevate Staffing
Our Starting Point
Program Launch
After months of logistical planning and working with fabricators building two mobile experience containers, the team set out to tour the United States to showcase the Samsung Gear VR technology to consumers. The project goal was to allow anybody and everybody the first chance to experience what virtual reality looked like.
Each mobile container would setup up in the middle of a metropolitan area to activate over the course of a week and offer new experiences to anyone over the age of 13. Later down the line, Facebook would use these containers for special sponsored events in the bay area like F8 (Facebook’s yearly convention in San Jose), FB recruiter events, and Pebble Beach Pro/Am golf tournament.
Tour Impact
Visited 18 U.S. cities
Accumulated 358,000 VR demos
Reaching our astonishing consumer demographic of 13 to 89 years of age
Gained attention from top Facebook executives including the former CMO, Gary Briggs
The Customer Experience
Customers read signage or asked FB team members “What is going on here?”
Guests waited in line while registering with a team member via iPad FotoApp
Once assigned to an ODST member (demo specialist), they were briefed on the safety measures and content overview
Guests experienced a 2:30 video spanning environments in AR and VR
Customers then exited to a brief capturing survey on their overall experience
Lastly, registrants received small swag items and a photo
Key Highlights
Facebook’s marketing contact, Kirsten McKay, began to reach out directly for operations help
The mobile containers continued to get used at internal Facebook events (Intern-palooza, campus events, etc.)
The Facebook experience container was featured at the Pebble Beach Pro/Am in 2018 featuring former Commander and Chief, Barak Obama
I continued working as an ODST (demo specialist) in Seattle, WA for local Facebook mixers (Woman in Tech, Oculus social hour, etc.)
Event Marketing Resume
Additional photography by Jerryn Currie
