Compared to last year, Comic-Con 2017 was all about taking VR to the next level. FX placed you in the chaotic mind of David Haller for a Legion HoloLens mixed reality immersive theater experience. Blade Runner 2049 shook you with D-Box seats, crash landing you in an immersive cyberpunk future packed with very committed actors. Warner Bros dragged us on a creepy school bus to face our biggest childhood fears.
All quite intense experiences. But there was one other VR experience at Comic-Con that had you laughing instead of gripping the chair, even as you’re abducted by aliens.
This was the world of TBS’s latest show People of Earth, where fans may recognize the witty and often dry alien humor. The roughly three-minute experience has you laid back in a chair donning an Oculus Rift headset, where you find you’ve been abducted by aliens. As the alien characters banter amongst each other, they probe your virtual body, activating multi-sensory effects like wind, water, and a jet of air.
Created in collaboration with TBS, Brand Connections, Supersphere VR, and Stun Creative, the VR experience highlights the aliens’ unique personality quirks. It’s as if you’ve been taken and probed by employees from “The Office,” which shouldn’t come as a surprise since “People of Earth” is from the producers of “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation.”
With Comic-Con being the most anticipated entertainment event of the year, it was great to see continued use of VR within brand activations. But more importantly, seeing the evolution of experiences from just standing VR demos to now full-blown multi-sensory immersive experiences only makes us more excited for what’s in store next year.
Season 2 of People of Earth returned Monday, July 24 on TBS.
Image Credit: VRScout
