BMW is the first automotive brand in the world (https://www.bmwman.ru/en) to use Google Spotlight Stories technology for storytelling, creating interactive 360-degree virtual reality through YouTube’s virtual reality. Visionary offers a unique experience with the BMW VISION NEXT 100, a concept study for BMW’s 100th anniversary.
Visionary (Full Interactivity: YouTube app for Android and Google Spotlight Stories app for iOS and Android)
The revolutionary visionary vehicle BMW VISION NEXT 100 represents the innovative strength and confidence of the BMW brand as a leader in modeling the mobility of the future. The car combines the sporty spirit of a body style with the dynamic elegance of a sedan — but despite not being an unrecognizable vehicle, it is highly personalized and perfectly engineered to meet the changing desires of the driver. The interaction between driver and vehicle is controlled by «living geometry»; Boost and Ease modes offer a choice between driver-controlled or vehicle-controlled operations, and the vehicle’s interior is modified to match the driving mode.
“Visionary clearly shows how BMW masterfully uses new digital communication possibilities to create impressive experiences,” says Jörg Pogenpoel, head of digital marketing at the BMW Group. “We are the first car brand to use Google Spotlight Stories. This fits perfectly with the brand’s confidence to be a creator of the future and an innovator.»
«Visionary» was co-created by BMW and digital agency Jung von Matt, and the agency is developing the concept in close collaboration with Google’s «ZOO» creative team. Additional support was provided by the production agency Sehsucht, which creates the 3D model as well as the graphic environment for the story.
During the implementation of the project, all participants interact intensively with each other — from the first exchange of technological ideas and creative directions to the final production. The result of this collaboration is an unprecedented innovative digital project available on YouTube with a clear focus on mobile devices.
Max Lederer, Managing Director Jung von Matt: “Innovation requires courage – without the trust shown by the BMW Group, the innovative work to create Visionary would not have been possible. For Jung von Matt, the project was just as difficult as for the other participants. A team of specialists developed a completely new software that was finalized in Mountain View. Together with the great Google team in Germany and the US, a kind of digital beacon has been created that we believe represents the future of the mobile brand: interactive storytelling in cyberspace. The entire project has been integrated into the BMW Group’s NEXT 100 YEARS anniversary campaign.
Florian Völmeke, Interactive Producer at Google / ZOO Hamburg, for Visionary: “The project showed the enormous creative potential of YouTube as a platform for spreading brand awareness and virtual reality. Together with the BMW Group and Jung von Matt, we have created a unique interactive experience for car enthusiasts and YouTubers around the world.”
Stories Spotlight on Google
Google Spotlight Stories allows interactive storytelling through mobile devices based on the app of the same name (iOS and Android) and is available through the Spotlight Stories Engine integrated into the YouTube app for Android.
Google Spotlight Stories is a combination of storytelling and mobile virtual reality. Thus, with the 360-degree view function, the smartphone becomes a window into another world. Interactivity is provided by smartphone sensors (gyroscope, touch, etc.). The user navigates through the video and can activate additional storylines or other points of view. Google Spotlight Stories is also compatible with Google Cardboard. Upon release, the same story will be available to iOS users in the Spotlight Story app, as well as Android users and the YouTube app. For desktop and mobile web users, 360-degree video will be available without interactive features as an alternative.
