“Neutral Digital has delivered a fantastic and truly immersive Dreamliner virtual reality onboard experience. Future passengers will now be able to sample our brand new cabin in an innovative and entertaining way. This engagement has helped us boost awareness, purchase consideration and save major logistic costs”
Andrew Shibata, Managing Director Brand, Air Canada.
For Air Canada, we created a new interactive VR experience of their Boeing 787 Dreamliner. This virtual reality demo allows new ways of exploring the quintessentially Canadian brand and travel experience by turning the user into a passenger, enabling them to enjoy the award-winning onboard product and service Air Canada offers.
Challenge
Air Canada is always developing new ways to enhance customer experience, and to engage partners such as the travel agents, which play a crucial role in helping customers select the travel options best suited to them. The challenge was to find an effective and efficient platform that would build purchase consideration amongst travellers and influencers and underscore Air Canada’s commitment to innovation and technology.
Solution
Virtual reality was the perfect solution to the brief. This medium, apart from being cost-effective, is also fantastic for generating leads, data and building emotional connections with the public.
Air Canada sought to provide different layers of experience: the emotion of flying and the physical space of the cabin. Their aim is to attract potential customers not only by showing the 787 Dreamliner and global route network in an innovative way, but also by conveying their warm onboard hospitality.
We knew a 360º linear experience was not suitable for this project. True VR with a guided narrative was the best choice, striking a balance between multi-sensory storytelling and interactive cabin features.
It was the time for Air Canada to embrace VR technology, combining cost-effective worldwide deployment with the benefits of immersive storytelling.
For this project, we selected the “Oculus” VR Headset and Touch controllers as the perfect interface for passengers to interact with the experience. With the headset on and controls in hand, the journey begins with an overview of Air Canada’s global route network followed by an exploration of the airline’s new livery. The narrative continues in one of the three cabins: Economy, Premium Economy or Business. Tray tables, in-flight EnRoute magazine and entertainment handsets are just some of the elements that can be touched, opened and moved, guided by the voice of a flight attendant.
Amenities like noise cancellation headphones that play music add an element of fun.
Continuing the service, the food menu appears with available options. After selecting one of the enticing dishes, the table is set, the dinner service begins, and the wine is poured. We used photogrammetry to capture and recreate in great detail the outstanding onboard food.
