JCDecaux courts advertisers with virtual reality tour of Sydney airport

JCDecaux is the latest company to use virtual reality to promote its brand.

A new virtual reality (VR) tour of Sydney airport has been created by the out-of-home advertising company for advertisers to experience its touchpoints throughout the airport environment.

The latest VR tour will take in both domestic and international terminals and is designed to replicate the passenger journey throughout the airport including check-in, departure gates, arrivals hall and exterior locations, including car parks. 

The high-tech approach allows JCDecaux to insert sample creative into the virtual tour so prospective advertisers can view their strategic positioning throughout the Sydney Airport environment.

The outdoor advertising specialist is investing in the new technology to appeal to advertisers looking wanting to attract premium customers in an environment where they have time for meaningful connections with brands.

“Our Sydney Airport VR site tour is an immersive experience that replicates the passenger environment for advertisers who are considering an airport campaign,” said Lucinda Milton, business director ANZ, JCDecaux Airport.

The Sydney Airport VR tour is the first in a series that is planned to include VR tours of other airports in its portfolio, which includes sites in Sydney and Perth in Australia, as well as Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown in New Zealand.

“Using VR tours to showcase advertising in our airports is an Australian airport first for out-of-home [advertising] and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to partner with technology leaders to showcase our assets and deliver value for advertisers,” said Jeremy Howe, JCDecaux chief strategy and innovation officer.

JCDecaux has partnered with Catalyst VR, which specialises in virtual, augmented and mixed reality technology, to showcase a brand’s presence on its digital and static portfolio in and around the airport. The tour can be experienced by advertisers using VR headsets or existing mobile devices.

Jamie Gilroy, managing director at Catalyst VR said: “It’s a unique, immersive and realistic experience of what a passenger sees.”

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