Rugby league fans attending the Magic Weekend will be able to get a new view on the game thanks to Specsavers and Fuse Sport + Entertainment (part of the Omnicom Media Group) who are bringing a Virtual Reality Referee Challenge to the fan zone at this weekend’s festival of rugby league at St James’ Park, Newcastle.
As the Official Partner of the Rugby Football League and sponsor of the referees, Specsavers are inviting fans to put themselves in the shoes of the ref, step into the match action and make the right call based on the play that they see via a VR headset. All fans who take part will then be entered into a prize draw to win a VIP upgrade for the next match.
The immersive experience has been designed, produced and delivered for Specsavers by Fuse Sport + Entertainment in partnership with Manning Gottlieb OMD, who are also supporting the campaign with a social media strategy. Fans who aren’t at the Magic Weekend but want to try their luck with the Referee Challenge can view the activity in 360° and go behind the scenes on Specsavers’ Facebook page.
Rachael Cumberland-Dodd, Senior Campaign Manager, Marketing at Specsavers, commented:
“As champions of the referees we know how vital it is that they look after their eyes and maintain good visual acuity. We’re excited that through Virtual Reality we’re now able to give rugby league fans the opportunity to see the action from a new perspective and test themselves in big game decisions.”
Rebecca Chance, Head of Fuse Sport + Entertainment, Manning Gottlieb said:
“Building on our recent success with the sell-out VR experience ‘Virtually Dead’, we’re delighted to now be bringing Virtual Reality technology to rugby fans for Specsavers. We know that rugby fans love to debate the refs’ calls and with this new immersive experience it’s a chance for them to see if it’s as easy as they think.”
The Specsavers Virtual Reality Referee Challenge follows Fuse Sport + Entertainment’s success with “Virtually Dead”, the fully immersive theatre production created to launch HTC Vive, the first complete virtual reality system. Fuse Sport + Entertainment engineered the collaboration between HTC and Noma Labs, which along with production partner Bearded Kitten, brought the zombie-based experience to life in both London and Paris last month.
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CONTACT DETAILS
For more information please contact:
Sarah Kendall, Fuse Sport + Entertainment
07793 124 810 / sarah.kendall@fuseint.com / www.fuseint.com
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Fuse Sport + Entertainment
Fuse Sport + Entertainment (part of the Omnicom Media Group) is a leading sport and entertainment agency. We create inspiring partnerships and experiences for brands. We are proud to have won UK Sponsorship Awards ‘Consultancy of the Year’ in both 2014 and 2015. We have over 100 staff in the UK and 250 across Europe. Current clients include Pepsi, Disney, Carlsberg, Royal London, McDonald’s, Nissan, Waitrose, John Lewis, Starbucks and Specsavers.