Hasta La Creative!

The advertising revolution took another step forward this month when Samsung announced virtual reality capabilities for its new Galaxy Note smartphone. The Gear VR headset provides panoramic, immersive, three-dimensional technology that interacts with the movements of your eyes and head. Gaming will be a key application, but it’s already being used to immerse users in music concerts and travel experiences. Soon, this unprecedented technology will fundamentally change the way that brands interact with their audiences.

The technology is powered by Oculus Rift, which was created in 2011. When Facebook purchased it in 2013 for $2 billion, Mark Zuckerberg announced, “Imagine enjoying a courtside seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world, or consulting with a doctor face-to-face — just by putting on goggles in your home.” Chris Dixon, an investor at Andreessen Horowitz, said in a Wired.com interview, “I think I’ve seen five or six computer demos in my life that made me think the world was about to change: Apple 2, Netscape, Google, iPhone then Oculus.”

You might have questions about Oculus and whether it’s a viable technology. The original version is big and clumsy. The new Samsung version looks a bit goofy. While reports cite that it works extremely well, it makes some people nauseous. It’s expensive and, outside of the early-early adopters, very few people will line up for the new Gear VR headset. However, the first generation of technology is always big, clumsy and expensive. The second and third generations come in a blink of an eye.

Continue reading at AdAge.com