As an emerging media, we saw an opportunity to bring to the world a new way for the VR technology to change our lives and provide a whole new dimension of truth in journalism. To showcase a new way of telling the news, we showed how VR could help you experience the event, rather than hearing it from a reporter or seeing it through a framed video. In doing so, we helped open up a whole new genre of news reporting.

Our virtual reality experience was available on the Samsung VR app, the most popular virtual reality app on the market. It was also distributed on YouTube and Facebook 360.

The campaign was extremely relevant to events happening across culture and news. Falling within the timeline of the Oscars where another White Helmets documentary was being honored, along with major news events happening in Syria and with the White Helmets.

Through a unique 360 partnership with New York Times, the project was featured on the the masthead for the entire site, drawing the attention of millions with a unique 360 degree player.

BTF increased purchase intent of Samsung VR by 21% (driven primarily by new potential samsung customers and those looking for a new phone in the next 3 months) - a massive increase that was the key goal and audience target for the program.

While virtual reality has been around for some time, it has only been in the last few years that the technology has been accessible to the majority of the world, as smartphones have become the dominant window to experience it.

Despite growing in popularity and cultural relevance, the technology's main use still revolved around gaming, but we wanted to show its true potential. One that could impact the world in countless fundamental ways. To do so, we took on one of the biggest issues the world was facing today - truth in journalism - and helped create a VR experience that brought a new dimension of truth to the genre.

Proving it's impact through a VR piece that people could experience, while also documenting this historic moment in a traditional 2D documentary, allowing to tell this incredible story to a mass audience.

We partnered with the last citizen news agency in Syria, to create a VR experience that takes people inside the lives of the White Helmets - a group of Syrian first responders - to witness what it is like dealing with the tragedies on the front lines of Aleppo.

In this VR experience we get a first person POV of the daily atrocities they witness and the bravery they exhibit - watching as they search for missing people in the rubble of a bombed out building, respond to an incident or push through hostile territory.

In a companion documentary we explore the very power of virtual reality. Through interviews and stories with the New York Times, the Columbia University School of Journalism, and the last Syrian news agency, we showcase its newfound ability to cut through the rhetoric of modern news and let people witness an unfiltered event for themselves.