In our brand anthem, we set out to position the Oculus Rift hardware system as the most transportive experience in virtual reality. To that end, we showed a diverse set of four individuals putting on the hardware and opening portals to fantastic VR worlds. We showcased the physicality of these experiences and the immersive nature of the worlds themselves through visceral movements, dramatic settings, and intense emotional reactions. The revolutionary design of the Rift hardware was featured and interwoven with our story while the promise of the technology was symbolically represented through a series of laserlike rifts that open channels between the virtual and the physical. Through the repetition of these motifs, and the diversity of experiences and games, we cemented a bond between this single piece of hardware and the multitude of new experiences now available to us through Oculus Rift.

The Oculus Rift Brand Anthem and the associated key art were the anchor assets for the 2017 go-to-market campaign, including usage for digital ads, social, oculus.com, in-store, in-theater, and more. The film was slated to make its world debut in October at Oculus Connect 4, the brand’s annual keynote, so concepting was kicked off in February to allow for the lead-time to create such a labor-intensive suite of creative.

The Oculus Rift platform is noteworthy for sleek industrial design, high-performance visuals, and realistic presence. The Anthem was meant to reflect that premium nature in execution. Video gamers want marketers to “just show us the game already!” which prompted the decision early-on to be as true to the actual experience as possible. This meant showing all the associated cords and wires, realistic placement of the sensors, and so on, even when it may have been more expedient to cut corners.

The movements of the actors, the gameplay clips, and use of the hardware were all true-to-form. This allowed for the visual metaphor/VFX of the rift opening, and the mixed-reality shots of game elements co-existing in reality, to be embraced by gamers as elevated — rather than fabricated — virtual reality. After the live-action shoot was completed, the editorial, VFX, and game capture process began in earnest. The discovery of the gorgeous, cinematic ballad “Journey (Ready to Fly)” by rising star Natasha Blume cemented the emotional arc of the VR experience.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced the Brand Anthem onstage to a live and streaming global audience, kicking off a phase of the campaign designed to utilize its visual stopping power. From October through holiday, the Brand Anthem was a constant reminder to gamers and tech enthusiasts that the most transportive experience in VR belonged to Oculus Rift.