Most grown-ups remember the joy of playing in a sand pit with cars and whatever else their imagination and toy box could provide.
Audi Norway has teamed up with creative agency, POL, and digital production agency, MediaMonks, to recreate that joy for adults.
It’s an experience that lets customers test drive the new Audi Q5 on their own virtual self-made track, Sandbox 2.0, created first in a sand pit.
Drivers use a real, purpose-built sandpit to create their own race track. The sand is then carefully scanned by a depth-sensing camera and a virtual world is rendered around their creation. The drivers then place themselves at the wheel of the new Audi Q5 skeleton, which becomes not only a virtual Audi Q5 but also a portal to the world just created. The size of the jumps and the challenge of the course are all dictated by their sand castle creation.
“For many of us, playing with cars in the sandpit is a distant memory. Let’s face it, the opportunity rarely presents itself once you pass a certain age,” stated Tommy Jensen, marketing manager of Audi Norway.
“The Sandbox 2.0 is a state-of-the-art toy for kids and adults. It provides a platform to rekindle the joys of driving and demonstrate the assets of the Q5 and the quattro technology in a playful and accessible way. For the Audi brand, this is a new way to demonstrate our products.”
MediaMonks developed the installation in line with POL’s creative concept. To capture every bump and curve, the sand is bombarded with short bursts of infrared light with over 200,000 measure points captured by the infrared camera. This data is then used to create a 3D model, which becomes the blueprint for the virtual environment.
“When you put on the headset you don’t just see the inside of an Audi Q5. This virtual world has real depth. You can look around and explore behind stuff. It’s really exciting to watch as people experience this for the first time,” noted Tom Eriksen, creative director at MediaMonks.
“To create a VR experience that is totally believable, it’s important that the driving environment also feels real. Not only the visual part but also the feel of the steering wheel and its feedback when you hit the sand.”
“Another factor in the immersion of VR, is audio. So we’ve used the engine sound from a real Audi Q5. Then our sound software renders a realistic and dynamic three-dimensional sound experience,” added Johan Ansterus, VR producer at MediaMonks.
The campaign also aims to strengthen Audi’s long-standing positioning as leaders in technology, Kjetil Skogly, Audi account director at POL.
“It has been a complex yet fun process as this has never been done before. It was important that everything has the same premium look and feel as the brand itself. Furthermore, it was paramount that the concept delivers on several measurable parameters, such as brand attractiveness, visits to the web site and Audi dealers, as well as having a positive impact on sales and market shares in the SUV category.”
Sandbox 2.0 is portable. Its technology can travel with the sandbox, which is specifically designed for easy transportation. So the Audi test drive can be available anywhere the world.
