Alcohol and spirits giant Diageo has unveiled “Decisions,” a first-of-its-kind virtual reality (VR) experience that puts consumers of legal drinking age in the middle of a fatal drunk driving crash. This launch is Diego’s latest effort to educate and meaningfully impact consumers about the importance of responsible decision-making when drinking.
To show the repercussions of getting behind the wheel after a night of excessive drinking, “Decisions” follows the journeys of three different vehicles and their passengers. The stories of each individual group – all unrelated at the outset – unfold as the viewer discovers the different motivations that led to each group’s night out. All three storylines, and vehicles, ultimately converge in a tragedy that the viewer will be able to see, hear and feel.
As VR continues to prove its efficacy as an engagement tool, Diageo is using it as a way to drive home the negative impact that one bad decision can have on multiple lives, and bring consumers closer to a critical issue.
“With Thanksgiving and the holiday season right around the corner, the dangers of drunk driving should be on all of our minds as we celebrate with friends and family – on average, 728 people are injured or killed in drunk-driving crashes each day during the holiday season,” Thompson said. “With VR technology on the rise both in consumer interest and utilization, we believe this is the ideal method to directly and emotionally impact consumers.”
Diageo’s Digital and Culture & Partnerships teams spearheaded the VR program, engaging partners such as Facebook, YouTube and The New York Times to help drive support and distribution for this project.
Consumer interest in VR continues to grow rapidly with the number of active users set to reach 171 million by 2018. Whether it’s pioneering “Safe Rides Home” designated driver activations or leveraging apps such as Uber to remind consumers there are alternatives to getting home if they’ve been drinking, Diageo is continually looking for new and inventive ways to reach consumers via emerging platforms and technologies. The company also recently announced a two-year partnership agreement with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, entitled “Road Safety Initiative for Cities,” which involves a collaboration to build institutional and individual capacity to reduce traffic deaths and injuries, and to improve road safety globally.
Consumers of legal drinking age can access "Decisions" through Facebook 360, YouTube 360 and NYT VR. It is also compatible with all VR headsets.
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Published Nov 23, 2016 6pm EST / 3pm PST / 11pm GMT / 12am CET