Why brands SHOULDN'T avoid the VR bandwagon
In Lucinda Kingham recent article “Why brands should avoid the VR bandwagon” she wrote, “3D TV died due to bad content and the lack of universal use." I beg to differ, 3-D TV failed not because of bad content but a lack of content. At least in North America, the model for 3-D television adoption relied heavily on Sports. However, the most watched sports in the US are played on a large field, which does not lend itself well to 3D. The greatest impact in a 3-D experience is when you “trick” the mind into seeing the spatial differences between close, mid and far away subjects. In more practical terms, 3D is used best in storytelling for subjects that are 1.5 to 10 meters away from the camera, something simply not possible in football, baseball and to a lesser extent auto racing.
The parallel Ms. Kingham draws with VR adoption is a reasonable argument. However, I advise brands on just the opposite; adopt, drive and exploit the VR bandwagon. Now is exactly the right time for brands to define the future of visual communication, create endless amounts content and stimulate not only the adoption of VR headsets but more importantly the utilization of those headsets.