HBO Enlists 100 Influencers in Social VR Experience for ‘Lovecraft Country’ Series

The pandemic has put in-person events on hold for the foreseeable future, but new and emerging technologies are available to marketers looking to engage attendees in fresh and meaningful ways. And with social media use skyrocketing, virtual engagement on social platforms is getting creative.

Enter HBO, which recently invited 100 influencers to participate in a three-part social VR experience powered by social VR platform VR chat in which attendees interacted with one another as 3D avatars in an environment inspired by its new series, “Lovecraft Country,” according to a piece in Event Marketer.

The network provided Oculus Quest headsets to attendees—influencers from gaming, art and film—as they interacted in the virtual space in real time. Meanwhile, passive viewers of the experience could participate in the events, while they were livestreamed on YouTube Live, by solving riddles that impacted the characters. Elements of the event included voiceover performances from the series’ stars, art installations, theatrical performances and escape room-like challenges that unlocked mystery rooms.

For more details on HBO’s social VR experience, read more in Event Marketer.