What Happened
St. Giles Hotels is inviting its guests to help it create VR content by lending them 360-degree cameras to document their stays with. The hotel chain, which manages nine properties across multiple continents, is also launching a contest to find interested consumers around the world to contribute some 360-degree footage to add to its content library. This summer, thirty guests will be awarded with a free one-night stay, given a Samsung Gear 360 camera, and tasked with shooting 360-degree videos around the hotels and the cities they are located in. The final cut of the crowdsourced VR content will be incorporated into a digital and social campaign planned for September. The company is also making a mobile app to allow viewers to watch the content with Google Cardboard.
Why Brands Should Care
With more and more platforms supporting VR and 360 video content, branded VR content continues to gain traction among consumers as brands started working with content creators to produce engaging, immersive content. St. Giles Hotels is taking a different approach here, as it outsources the VR content creation to its guests in exchange for one night of free accommodation. It is a good way to drum up consumer interest and get some authentic material that truly reflects the customer experience. Brands looking to get in on the VR trend should consider taking a cue from St. Giles and devising a similar initiative.
Source: AdWeek
