Revolutionary Car Launch: Our VR Journey with Suzuki Swift

The recent launch of the Suzuki Swift in the Netherlands was no ordinary car reveal, but a revolutionary car launch. It combined cutting-edge technology with an immersive driving experience. At Phil & Flo we created a 2-minute virtual reality (VR) experience that allowed participants to sit in the next generation Suzuki Swift and travel through various VR locations.

The VR Experience

Imagine sitting in the new Suzuki Swift, but instead of an event hall surrounding you, you're whisked away to the "Cathedral Of Speed": the TT circuit of Assen, or the breathtakingly scenic Beekse Bergen. This was the reality we created through our VR experience. With the help of the Insta 360 camera we captured 8K footage for the highest level of detail. With the Pico 4, a state-of-the-art VR headset, we developed an experience that is not only visually stunning, but also intuitive.

When designing the VR experience, we kept all types of users in mind: from those trying a VR headset for the very first time, to seasoned tech enthusiasts. As such, we created a seamless and enjoyable journey for every person in attendance. Streamlining the process with Look & Play, a quick and easy 360° playback solution, made it effortless for users who get confused by controllers and menus. All users had to do was put the headset on. No clicking of buttons or other unfamiliar actions — just immediate immersion.

Impact on Attendees

The response to the VR experience was fantastic. More than 300 people attended the event at the National Military Museum in Utrecht, with many experiencing VR for the very first time. The enthusiasm was tremendous: participants explored virtual environments from the comfort of the driver's and passenger's seat of the Suzuki Swift. "It felt as though I was actually there, driving through the beautiful Dutch countryside", remarked one participant. The reactions underscored the success of the event and the high-quality experience we created.

Mini-Interview with the 3D Designer

What were some of the challenges in creating this VR experience?

“What I found particularly challenging when making this VR project was working with high resolutions. A standard video is often small, and a resolution of 1080p is usually more than sufficient. But for a 360-degree video, the image is of course spread all around you, and higher resolutions are needed to make it appear sharp. For this project we worked in 8K resolution. That is actually 4 times the size of a 4K video. The tricky part of working with 8K resolution is that it puts a heavy load on the programmes we use. Render times therefore take considerably longer, which makes it difficult to preview sections along the way..”

Project highlights:

What did you enjoy most about working on this project?

“The highlight for me was seeing how everything comes together. That includes the interior of the car and the mirrors, as well as the addition of music. And of course the fact that the final product was so well received by visitors at the event..”

The future of VR:

Where do you see VR heading over the next two years?

“It will only get better — the hardware is becoming more powerful and more compact. A great deal of software has already gained many more features for working with VR content than 2 to 3 years ago. This means it will only become easier to create a VR video or experience..”

The launch of the Suzuki Swift in the Netherlands was a testament to the power of VR in transforming traditional events into unforgettable experiences. At Phil & Flo we are proud to have contributed to this project and are excited about the future of VR technology. It was great fun to collaborate with both Suzuki and The Merge Agency to bring this work to life. We believe in the potential to revolutionise not only car showcases, but a wide range of industries and experiences.

Interested in finding out more? Or do you need help creating a VR experience for your project? Feel free to get in touch with us, no obligation whatsoever.

Stay tuned for more updates from us via our website or social media channels, as we continue to explore and innovate at the forefront of technology. Create your very own VR animatie laten maken door onze specialisten.