Samsung in partnership with Leo Burnett has used virtual reality to prevent a fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) worker from missing the birth of his third child.
Despite being in Chinchilla, a remote Queensland town, Jason (Jace) Larke used Samsung’s Gear VR headset to experience the birth of his child in real time – as if he was standing in the Perth delivery room 4,000 kilometres away.
Working with production company Rapid VR, Samsung Australia and Leo Burnett livestreamed 360-degree footage of the birth, which Larke viewed using the Samsung headset.
It meant Larke was present in the delivery room, supporting his wife, Alison, every step of the way, and Larke was able to look around the room to experience the joyous occasion as if he were actually there. Late on Friday February 20, 2015, he witnessed the birth of Steele Larke.
Arno Lenior, chief marketing officer for Samsung Electronics Australia, said: “The Samsung Gear VR technology is exciting, but what we are even more proud of are the amazing, emotion-charged experiences made possible by eliminating physical and geographic barriers and delivering new ways to experience immersive content.
“We are connecting people in ways never before thought possible, to ensure Aussies don’t miss those significant moments which life is really all about.”
Andy DiLallo, chief creative officer for Leo Burnett Sydney said that the Larke family was able to share the miracle of birth through the miracle of technology.
“This goes beyond what the technology does and how it works – it’s about how it touches and changes peoples’ lives in new and compelling ways by allowing them to be part of experiences that they would otherwise miss.
“This technology gives people the ability to ‘be there’ to experience life-changing, life-defining or life-affirming moments that would previously have been missed, and make emotional connections that would not otherwise have been made. This is about harnessing the potential for truly remarkable shared connections that are at the core of the human experience.”
Watch the video below for yourself:
Credits:
Above the line creative – Leo Burnett
Media agency – Starcom
Public relations – Edelman
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