I may have mentioned in the past that one of my favourite authors is William Gibson - the science fiction writer who invented the word "cyberspace" and was playing around with the idea of virtual reality long before The Matrix (check out his 1984 novel Neuromancer). Gibson recently observed that we now live in a science fiction story - a claim I was reminded of when I read a press release from the agency UNIT 9.
The agency is launching a "dedicated virtual reality division" to bring this other-worldly experience to brands. Virtual Reality technology is out there - in the form of a piece of equipment called Oculus Rift (very Gibson); but UNIT 9 argue that nobody has done anything interesting with it for brands. Yet. The agency's VR team will by led by Henry Cowling, who says: "Virtual Reality is a market rich in technology but poor in content. That's exciting for us, because it means we're the first."
The agency says that while the device is available, the ability to produce branded content still needs to be created. Hence its virtual reality studio, which will experiment with the medium while bringing clients up to speed on the gear. UNIT9 believe VR has the potential to be as important as TV. Although they also admit that the device causes people to fall out of their chairs, which is a slight disadvantage. Think I'll stick to Doctor Who for the time being.
