7 Seas VR

After two successful global campaigns for Sperry’s 7 Seas that pushed the Sperry brand from laid-back to high-performance, we took them one step further: Sperry enlisted SpecialGuest to put Sperry 7 Seas traction to the test and bring its partnership with America’s Cup to life. But how could we do that without stepping on a boat?

SpecialGuest created a traveling virtual reality installation where we offered participants a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the intensity and excitement aboard an America’s Cup boat. America’s Cup is not only an international sailing competition, but also the oldest international competition still operating in any sport.

By combining premium VR technology with a full sensorial experience, participants felt transported and immersed. Participants could see, hear, and feel the action.

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SpecialGuest captured 360 video footage of the first freshwater America’s Cup race in Chicago, stitched the footage, and created an Oculus Rift experience that puts viewers on the boat. We built an installation that allowed participants to stand on a motorized platform synced to the movement of the boat, and we also developed wind and water spray cues in sync with action of the video.

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We used a GoPro rig to capture the 360 footage. To create the VR experience, we used Unity, an Arduino board, a water pump, water hosing, a mister, a fan, a motorized platform, and a lot of C# programming.