‘Virtual’ is no match for ‘Reality’.

Though Virtual Reality technology continues to advance in leaps and bounds, it’s still unable to replicate the thrill of actually driving an F-TYPE.

To demonstrate this, Jaguar invited the public at an automotive expo to experience the only virtual reality simulation worthy of the F-TYPE. One that turned out to be not-so-virtual.

They were promised a next level VR experience in a Jaguar F-TYPE on, what looked like, a large motion simulator platform. A fake VR helmet played a distraction video while the car was secretly lowered and driven on to the adjacent arena by a precision driver. Hidden cameras inside the passengers’ helmets went live and they were taken on an adrenaline-pumping ride before being obliviously returned to the stand.

The primary design challenge was creating the appearance of a solid and stable motion simulator that actually operated covertly as a vehicle transporter, delivering the car quickly, seamlessly and practically to an adjoining race track.

Key to this was a false-bottomed stage which allowed our purpose-built hydraulic stand to lower the car flush to the stage platform so there would be no tell-tale bumps for our passengers as the car drove off. Metal veneers were used for elements that required a sense of solidity and permanence but had to be moved quickly by hand. And the rear wall of the stand was engineered to slide up, so the car could drive across a temporary platform created to bridge the gap between the back of the stand and the adjoining arena.

Throughout the event, our host ushered the passengers through the experience, with a scripted dialogue designed to misdirect.

The event took place throughout the day, with downtime for resetting and approaching expo patrons as they entered the gates (to ensure they hadn't seen previous 'rides'). Because of the regularly occurring stunts, the Jaguar stand stood out from all its competitors' traditional, static booths and drew the most interested crowds as they waited for the next passenger.

Video of the event was posted on Facebook and YouTube and was picked up by news media and enthusiast sites, including the country’s most popular content site, stuff.co.nz.

F-TYPE sales in 2015 increased by 53% compared to the same time in the previous year.

This campaign was the only major in-market activity.

This was made all the more impressive considering the total media and production budget had nearly halved.

Virtual reality is the 'technology du jour', especially in the car category - it seems like it's a requirement for every new car launch. But, most of the time, the VR experiences do a better job of selling VR rather than the product it's supposed to be helping promote.

It seems like the car brands that are using VR as a promotional tool are relying on the novelty of the technology to make their car seems more interesting than they really are.

Sure, adopting new technology makes your brand appear modern, but we took it one step further by subverting it. Making Jaguar feel ahead of the pack.

We needed to re-launch the newest range of Jaguar F-TYPEs to a younger audience than the brand's traditional demographic, and to surprise and delight them with an unconventional brand experience.

The limited budget meant the requirement of a PR-able idea to gain broader reach since there would be no other media support.

The event took place in the country’s largest automotive and marine expo.