Test drive a car without the car by Volvo Cars US
The Story
With the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show months away, the Volvo team had to find a way to fuel interest in its not-yet-released XC90. Although the car wouldn't be available until the following spring, Volvo wanted to demonstrate its design and capabilities. The company teamed up with R/GA and FrameStore to design an interactive experience using Google Cardboard, a new and low-cost virtual reality platform. After downloading the Volvo Reality app, users could slide their smartphone into the Google Cardboard mount to look around the inside of the car and take a virtual test drive.
![Volvo Reality - APAC 1](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/Volvo_Reality_-_APAC_1.jpg)
![Volvo Reality - APAC 2](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/Volvo_Reality_-_APAC_2.jpg)
The team used eight cameras to collect environmental data while driving down a 60-mile stretch of road. It then combined that data with a computer-generated build of the car's interior. A combination of photo-realistic CGI and a 360-degree vibration-reduction camera technique brought the experience to life. Users needed only Google Cardboard and an iOS or Android smartphone to feel like they were sitting in the driver's seat.
![Volvo Reality - APAC 3](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/Volvo_Reality_-_APAC_3.jpg)
The Technology
Mobile:
Search:
Video:
Web/Apps:
- Google Apps
The Results
Launch date: November 18, 2014
Volvo created a way for consumers to experience its newest vehicle—without the actual car, revolutionizing virtual reality for cars.
238M:
Media impressions
19M:
Social media impressions