Etihad Airways splashes the cash on lavish VR ad

Etihad Airways, the company which bankrolls Manchester City FC, is flexing its financial muscle once more by launching a lavish 360-degree virtual reality ad starring brand ambassador and Hollywood A-lister Nicole Kidman.
The five-minute film, titled “Reimagine”, takes a 360-degree look at the luxury interior of Etihad’s Airbus A380, following Kidman as she tours the plane which houses an ultra-luxurious and private three-room suite, dubbed The Residence.
“Reimagine” launched in monoscopic sound on a dedicated website, and will be followed by an updated version in stereoscopic sound on June 17; it will also be released online as a YouTube 360 video.
Created by Cheil Worldwide-owned Barbarian Group, in partnership with the creative digital production company MediaMonks, the ad aims to redefine state-of-the-art VR.
However, to get the full experience, viewers will need to download the Oculus VR app on the dedicated website and view the film using a virtual reality headset, such as Oculus Rift or Google Cardboard.
Etihad Airways senior vice-president of marketing Shane O’Hare said: “In December 2014 we completely reimagined the travel experience with the launch of our new A380 fleet, setting a new standard in innovative design, service and technology.
“This immersive VR film is a massive step-change in the way we present the Etihad Airways brand and product to the consumer using highly innovative new mediums. Based on the success of our recent campaign with Nicole, the decision to take this partnership to the next level was an obvious one.”