Last week, a class of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) students boarded a school bus thinking they were on their way to the USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C. Instead, they found themselves transported 250 million miles away via a new virtual reality experience created by aerospace company Lockheed Martin.
The company created a custom bus that uses video game software and replicated footage from the movie The Martian to feature 200 sq. miles of Mars’ rocky red surface. The bus is being used to promote Lockheed Martin’s new science and space educational program called “Generation Beyond,” which aims to bring the science of space into thousands of homes across America.
This is a great example of the impact that VR experiences can have on the future of education and promotion for brands of all types. VR allows the ability to tap into a deeper level of human emotion through a more intimate, immersive experience, leading to a stronger connection between consumer and brand (or in this case, student and science lesson).