VR Flight Contest – Red Bull Flugtag promo game
Red Bull Poland
In the mid-1980s, Dietrich Mateschitz, inspired by functional drinks from the Far East, founded Red Bull. He created not only a new product but also a unique marketing concept. Red Bull Energy Drink made its debut on the Austrian market on April 1, 1987. Thus, a completely new category of products was created – energy drinks. In 2020, a total of 7.9 billion cans of Red Bull were sold worldwide.
Challenge
Red Bull Flugtag activation events marketing
supported by the VR entertainment
- In 2019, 4 competitions were to be held in Europe – in Poland, Serbia, Turkey and Russia.
- The organizers, as for any event, start preparations a few months earlier. One of the key elements is activation events increasing the reach of the largest possible group of interested parties with information about the Competition.
- For promotional purposes, Red Bull is organizing additional events in cities as well as on campuses to effectively reach students and anyone potentially interested in participating in the competition.
In cooperation with the marketing department of Red Bull, we developed the concept of the Flight Contest as a VR game. The aim was to enable a wider group of consumers to “empathize” with the role of a competitor who first builds his flying machine, and then takes part in and flies in a competition.
Solution
An immersive application, perfect for promotional events
- After putting on the goggles, the user moved to the workshop, where his first task was waiting for him. He was to assemble his flying machine from the parts on the shelves in the correct order.
- The player can put together a virtual stork plane, which we have reproduced on the basis of a poster of the
- Polish edition of the Flight Contest. In order for the machine structure to run smoothly, the parts were numbered, and the highlighting of the element outline prompted the user where to place the part.
- The last task waiting for the user in the game is to jump off the ramp. It’s an exciting experience that builds the whole effect that we and the Red Bull team wanted. Definitely worth an experience.
Process
Gathering project assumptions
Defining user journey
Designing the gameplay
3D graphics creation
and programming
Adaptation to target devices
The key was to create a game that would be engaging, inspiring, fun, and not too long. Player turnover should be high so that as many people as possible can play. We planned the duration of the experiment at the optimal level of 5 minutes.
Using the database of archival photos, virtual maps, and spatial event plans, we prepared 3D models of four beaches where Flight Competitions were held in Gdynia, Moscow, Belgrade, and Istanbul. We have kept precise branding even on the smallest elements, such as buoys, bands, umbrellas, and large screens.
Technology
Effects
- Success # 1 | Great reception during events
The VR game set in Gdynia could be played at many activation events, including the 10 largest universities in the country, where a total of 1,500 people played the game. These were, among others Pyrkon (51,000 participants), Gala Lagardere (1,200), Runmageddon Gdynia (7,000), Game On (30,000).
Also in the Tri-City, before the main event, 2,000 people played the game at 7 different points for 10 days, and about 5,000 watched and supported the struggles of their friends. In Russia about 2,100 people played the game at 4 VR stands. In Turkey, exactly 1,572 people took part in the game. 4 VR booths were located in different parts of Istanbul.
- Success # 2 | Entertainment for everyone
Our application works great as a starting point for having fun together. Through a setup consisting of goggles and a screen showing the image seen by the user, we encourage people passing the booth to get involved in the action and join the game.
- Success # 3 | A unique experience
By implementing the mechanics known from the competition jumps performed during the Red Bull Flugtag, we achieved the goal of offering an original and memorable gameplay. Through the audiovisual experience, our game captures the thrill of extreme water flights.