The document discusses how virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies can provide immersive experiences for audiences and allow marketers to engage consumers beyond traditional methods. VR completely immerses users in virtual 3D worlds, while AR layers virtual images over the real world. Both provide opportunities for personalized experiences but VR requires expensive headsets and isolation while AR risks distraction. The document explores the functions, stats, opportunities, and challenges of using VR and AR for immersive marketing.

1. UNDERSTANDING VR & AR FOR IMMERSIVE
MARKETING
B R E A K I N G T H E F O U RT H WA L L
MA Film, Television and Screen Industries

2. – F r a n k R o s e 1
“people want to be immersed, they want to get
involved in a story”.
1. Frank Rose, The Art of Immersion: How the Digital Generation Is Remaking Hollywood, Madison Avenue, and the Way We Tell Stories (New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2011).
2. Pete Crofut, “How Technology Makes Creative More Intelligent,” Think With Google, 2014, https://think.storage.googleapis.com/docs/engagement-project-tech-makes-creative_articles.pdf .
“It’s no longer just about delivering the
experience; it’s about building in interactive
features that let users choose what they want to
experience”.
– P e t e C ro f u t ( H e a d o f C re a t i v e P l a t f o r m S o l u t i o n s a t
G o o g l e ) 2

3. I N T R O D U C T I O N
IMMERSION IS THE NEW
ENGAGEMENT
2016 saw a new generation of immersive media technologies come
to market3. Developments in VR - Virtual Reality and AR -
Augmented Reality has provided creatives with new ways of
engaging with audiences. VR and AR have been framed as novelty,
much like 3D was a few years go, however since the beginning of
2016, second generation technologies are breathing new life into it.
The immersive experiences provided by these new technologies are
allowing creatives to take television beyond the fourth wall, allowing
audiences to invest in the show not just for the duration of a 30
second trailer, but for the foreseeable future.4 However, what is it
about these new technologies that warrants an immersive
experience and how can we identify which ones to use in marketing?
3. Steve Plunkett, “Broadcast Technology Trends for 2017 - Broadcast and Media,” Ericsson, January 3, 2017, http://www.ericsson.com/broadcastandmedia/access-services/broadcast-technology-
trends-2017/
4. Pete Crofut, “How Technology Makes Creative More Intelligent,” Think With Google, 2014, https://think.storage.googleapis.com/docs/engagement-project-tech-makes-creative_articles.pdf.
5. Joey, “Where Engagement Meets Immersion: A Discussion with Frank Rose,” Harmony Institute, September 10, 2013, http://harmony-institute.org/latest/2013/09/10/where-engagement-meets-
immersion-a-discussion-with-frank-rose/.
6. Dale Lovell, “Immersive Media, Virtual Reality and a New Form of Media,” The Internet Advertising Bureau, June 3, 2016, https://iabuk.net/blog/immersive-media-virtual-reality-and-a-new-form-
of-media.
IMMERSION VS ENGAGMENT
The digital transformation of the creative industry has encouraged
audiences to become active participants as opposed to passive
observers, so merely looking at posters or watching adverts is not
good enough. TV marketing has transformed through 4 levels of
engagement.5
1. One way flow of information - informing audience
2. Two way - constructed interaction through the use of websites
3. Participatory - the provoking of action e.g tweeting and sharing.
4. Experimental - The promotion of personal and individualised
participation.
With the advances in new innovative technology e.g AR & VR the
objective now is to eliminate the barrier between fiction and non-
fiction and provide audiences with an experience that lets them
forget that they are the audience and “fall into a newly
manufactured reality”.6
By removing this barrier and breaking the fourth, creatives can
harness the power of innovative technologies to create and
immersive experience for audiences.

4. T E C H N O L O G Y I S
A LT E R I N G M A R K E T I N G
C O M M U N I C AT I O N S
Technology is altering the ways in which creatives
communicate with audiences. Audiences are spending
more time with media interacting with it across
platforms and multiple screens, seamlessly
transitioning between them.The world of digital
marketing is constantly evolving and with new
additions to technological landscape digital creatives
are being to think outside of the box with marketing
campaigns.
E X P L O R I N G T H E E V O LV I N G
T E C H N O L O G I C A L
L A N D S C A P E
This paper focuses on two key technological trends that
are changing the ways in which creatives produce
immersive marketing for TV: VR & AR.
7. We Are Social, “Digital in 2016 - We Are Social UK,” We Are Social, 2016, http://wearesocial.com/uk/special-reports/digital-in-2016.
8. Google, “The New Multi-Screen World Study,” Think With Google, 2012, https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/research-studies/the-new-multi-screen-world-study.html.
7
8

5. This paper recognises that though both VR and AR
are not new technologies as such, the investment
into and development of these technologies has
recently taken off. With the success of the worldwide
phenomenon Pokemon Go in 2016, and an increase
in the number of VR devices coming to market,10 the
marketing capabilities and added value of these
technologies is beginning to show. This research
identifies the functions of VR and AR and how these
innovative technologies create a sense of immersion.
THE OPPORTUNITY - VR & AR
10. Aaron Burch, “Infographic – Choosing VR/AR Headsets,” Touchstone Research, June 10, 2016, https://touchstoneresearch.com/vr-ar-headsets/.

6. Understand the Opportunity - VR
14. Aaron Burch, “Infographic – Augmented Reality Vs Virtual Reality,” Touchstone Research, September 9, 2016, https://touchstoneresearch.com/infographic-augmented-reality-vs-virtual-reality/.
15. Digi-Capital, “Augmented/virtual Reality Revenue Forecast Revised to Hit $120 Billion by 2020,” Digi-Capital, January 2016, http://www.digi-capital.com/news/2016/01/augmentedvirtual-reality-revenue-forecast-revised-to-
hit-120-billion-by-2020/#.WHjy9bbyhn4.
16. Statista 2017, “Active Virtual Reality Users Worldwide 2014-2018 | Statistic,” Statista, 2017, https://www.statista.com/statistics/426469/active-virtual-reality-users-worldwide/.
17. Aaron Burch, “The VR (virtual Reality) Consumer Sentiment Report – Infographic,” Touchstone Research, November 12, 2015, https://touchstoneresearch.com/the-vr-virtual-reality-consumer-sentiment-report-infographic/.
Functions: “VR is made up of 75% virtual and 25% real environments”.14 The idea behind
VR is to completely immerse audiences into a digital three-dimensional world. Users can
explore and navigate through this environment, interacting and creative their own
personalised experience.
Stats: Industry Revenue Forecast by 2050 - $30 Billion15
Active VR & AR Users by 2018 - 171 million16
Opportunity:
NO DISTRACTIONS - Virtual reality transports the user inside a virtual world, with in effect
no distractions. Completely isolating them from the real world, enabling complete
immersion with content.
PERSONAL - Rather than tell audiences about a programme, TV marketers can show
them and provide them with a personal and unique experience thats lasts beyond a 30
second trailer.
INVESTMENT - Billions of dollars have been invested into VR technology by well-known
companies such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Sony, HTC and Samsung.
Challenge:
ACCESSIBILITY: It requires the use of a head mounted display (HMD) even if the software
is displayed via a smart phone, therefore only a minority of audiences will be able to
experience it. Creatives will need to develop an experience that is relatively accessible if
attempting to target a wide audience.
COST! - It’s expensive to create and relatively expensive to experience. As 40% of the first
wave of HMD cost between $400-599,17 creatives will have to find ways of creating a VR
experience for audiences that will either reduce costs or require no cost at all on the
behalf of the audience.
Engagement Capability: Fully Immersive

7. Understand the Opportunity - AR
18. Aaron Burch, “Infographic – Augmented Reality Vs Virtual Reality,” Touchstone Research, September 9, 2016, https://touchstoneresearch.com/infographic-augmented-reality-vs-virtual-reality/.
19. Digi-Capital, “Augmented/virtual Reality Revenue Forecast Revised to Hit $120 Billion by 2020,” Digi-Capital, January 2016, http://www.digi-capital.com/news/2016/01/augmentedvirtual-reality-
revenue-forecast-revised-to-hit-120-billion-by-2020/#.WHjy9bbyhn4.
20. Ashley Madigan, “Infographic – Augmented Reality in 2016,” Touchstone Research, November 11, 2016, https://touchstoneresearch.com/infographic-augmented-reality-in-2016/.
Functions: “AR consists of 25% virtual and 75% real environments”.18 The Idea behind AR
is to created a mixed reality environment that partially immerses audiences. The
technology layers computer-generated-imagery (CGI) on top of the real world, blending
virtual reality with the real world. By transporting virtual things into the real world, AR
seeks to create an interactive and enhanced environment.
Stats: Industry Revenue Forecast by 2020 - $90 Billion19
AR users expected to grow by 35% a year over the next 5 years 20
Opportunity:
COST: Less expensive than VR as AR technology covers a broad spectrum from interaction
with a large screen to viewing something through you smart phone camera.
ACCESSIBILITY : AR is more accessible by audiences that than true VR as viewers can
easily download an app via their mobile devices in order to experience an augmented
reality.
SOCIAL: Users are not isolated with the real world enabling them interact with the real
and virtual world simultaneously allowing physical movement in order to explore and
navigate through the environment making it more of a social experience. Creatives can
utilise this to engage with a wider audience.
Challenge:
DISTRACTION: As audiences are only partially immersed, they can be distracted by the
real world which may effect on their AR experience. Creatives will need to take in to
consideration the environment in which audience will interact with the augmented reality.
SATURATION: As AR implementation is relatively easy, the market will soon become
saturated with a variety of AR apps. Consequently, creatives will need to offer authentic AR
experiences for audiences that stand out.
Engagement Capability: PARTLY IMMERSIVE