Acura NSX GT3
My role : ACD, ideation, art direction, Team Lead & onsite setup.
Agency Creds Spinifex Group Los Angeles CEO Ben Casey ECD Stephen Van Elst Creative Directors Jonnie Ellison ACD Robyn Spencer Animation Carlos Mendez Production Kimberlee Mar Launch Jan 2018 Other Agency Credits George P. Johnson Los Angeles.
VR interactive Experience
Precision Crafted Performance
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Challenge
Acura needed an experience to go alongside their reveal of the female-designed, sexy new NSX GT3 at the International Auto Show - where brands go insanely big to reveal their new vehicles and compete for footfall, staying power, and attention.
The experience needed to tour globally after the Los Angeles debut, and they wanted something tech-driven and ‘wow’.
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Approach
Our solution was to use VR in a space where attendees could design their own NSX vehicle, and combined with LeapMotiontechnology, gesture with their hands to design, and place paint colours and liveries. They were then invited to physically drive their creation on an unreal track of their dreams, crafted and influenced by their design and colour choices made for the car.
Attendees could see their hands in front of them, and could move them around wearing realistic animated gloves. They could steer the real NSX GT3 racing wheel, driving their creation and usinghaptics, feeling how the car handled on the road.
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Results
This gesturing / LeapMotion feature was new at the time, and with the help of interstitials, it was easily picked up by the people who experienced it.
Using VR & LeapMotion in this way allowed the user to experience the actual vehicle in the storytelling process, and gave the freedom to design their experience of choice. Attendees easily learned new skills, paid attention to the new details of NSX GT3, and got to feel what it was like to drive one.This International Auto Show season featured the New York and Los Angeles Auto Shows and the Geneva Motor Show.
Using Leapmotion on the front of the VR headset, the skeletal structure of the user’s hands are replicated inside the 3D space in driving gloves. Using hand gestures like ‘thumbs up’ users could confirm their choices to move on. This was a reasonably new learning at the time.
Inside they could then start to customise their NSX colours - primary & accent - by reaching out and grabbing a coloured orb physically and placing it inside a target, perfectly aligning in 3D space. They could then choose one of 8 patterned livery to create a unique look with thousands of possibilities.
Customised ride
To make the driving experience as realistic as possible, we worked with our talented developer, Carlos Mendes, to create an accurate replica of the featured (and supplied) Acura NSX steering wheel and cockpit environment. The carbon fiber materials, buttons, and even the dash interior were fitted out as though it was in race, including the specialised gloved hands. The devil is in the details so they say.
Accurate detailing
Once the user was satisfied with the look of their vehicle, they took the wheel (physically) and gave it a spin around the track. The environment presented reflected their chosen livery (in this instance, wild splashes of paint to drive under and through) or pixelised graphical shapes and buildings to drive around, coloured and designed, inspired by their vehicle.
Creating these environments individually meant each user’s ride was unique, and the driver felt what the NSX GT3 was like to drive.
Go Go Go!
To enhance and lengthen the experience we also developed a microsite and other collateral for the Auto Show, one which allowed attendees to send unique digital takeaways to send themselves after the experience had ended.
These had their custom NSX - colouring, livery, and were designed inspired by their custom driving environment.
