We developed an innovative ‘virtual reality’ campaign for VSO, a nonprofit charity that gives volunteers the opportunity to help fight poverty in developing countries. What better way to let young people step into the shoes of a volunteer from their device, than using 360° video?
The backstory
Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) is a nonprofit charity that gives volunteers the opportunity to work abroad to help fight poverty in developing countries. The organisation was looking for new and more diverse sign-ups among young people. But charity is a saturated sector, with ICM and Media Trust reporting that 70% of the public believe 'there are too many charities doing similar work and competing with each other'. To stand out from the noise with a message that’s compelling, relevant, and worthy, we developed an innovative ‘virtual reality’ campaign using 360° video.
The insight
Our audience research revealed that 360° video content was popular among our target audience at the time. Beyond simply being designed to resonate with our audience, we realised that 360° video would be the perfect way to bring the story to life. Only a unique video experience like this could enable viewers to feel what VSO volunteers feel, see what they see - and share the sense of joy that comes from changing lives.
The creative
An immersive experience designed to resonate with our audience
Using their device to interact with the video, our audience imagined themselves going from their ordinary lives, to a volunteer life abroad - and making a real difference through VSO work. It was a unique opportunity to step into the shoes of a VSO volunteer without leaving the room - and for a couple of minutes, experience the real impact that VSO volunteers can make.
Innovative and culturally-aware production techniques
We deployed our specialist 360° team to shoot across locations in the UK and Africa. To convey a sense of realism and ensure brand authenticity, we cast an actual VSO volunteer for our video. Beyond selecting someone who was good on camera, our casting process was conscious of the need to avoid “white saviour” cinematic tropes.
Driving an award-winning campaign over two months
Apart from our hero video, we created a range of companion assets for VSO to use across its platforms, such as Facebook carousel posts featuring photograph versions of our 360° video idea. These drove viewers to the VSO website where they could watch the video and immediately sign up for this life-changing volunteer experience.
The evidence
Our audience research was proven right, with the video reaching more than 500,000 people on Facebook, racking up 115,000 views across social - 11,000 of those being unique views - and over 2,000 reactions, comments, and shares. Over the campaign period, we hit 775,000 impressions, helping to raise awareness for the important work the VSO is doing - and encourage 154 new young people to submit their application. (A nice bonus after this meaningful project? Our video picked up two Lovie Awards and a British Media Award.)
The magic
We created an exciting way for our audience to visualise two versions of their life - the one they were currently living, and the one they could reach for by signing up as a volunteer. But perhaps the real magic is summed up in this quote from the VSO:
“distillery’s work on our 360 virtual reality campaign, ‘What will your day bring?’ has inspired and engaged new audiences with ICS more successfully than we could have imagined. We were faced with the tough challenge of recruiting a more diverse pool of applicants for our government-funded international volunteering programme. When we approached distillery, their creativity, innovation and quick understanding of our need for a different marketing product made them the obvious choice to take on the job. The video has been without a doubt the most engaging piece of content we’ve produced for new and existing audiences to date.”
Find out how we can create innovative video content for your next campaign. Get in touch with a distiller.