GE’s Industrial Internet is powered by an innovative platform, called Predix, that allows different types of machines to communicate and share information. This platform also creates digital simulations, or digital twins, that can help machines perform at maximum efficiency.

From the jungle, to the sea, the VR film links GE’s technologies with miracles of the natural world that inspired them. Recent studies have found that species within an ecosystem can interpret and act upon the calls of other species, allowing them to avoid predators or find new sources of food. Drawn from The Times journalism itself, this natural phenomenon serves neatly as a metaphor for the Industrial Internet’s power of communication between machines. With the power of VR, we invited readers to literally step into the paper itself, entering an paper world that culminates with a look at how these innovations are improving energy disbursement in the modern city.

At the core of the execution is the NYT VR app, coupled with the delivery of more than 1.3 million Google Cardboards, leveraging one of the largest distribution systems in media to make VR accessible to more people than ever.

With this as the end result, we worked over six months to develop the VR film using the latest in 360 video technology and partnering with an award-winning effects company. One of three brands sponsoring the launch, GE’s VR film was one of just five featured in the NYT VR app during its first weeks.

It was accompanied by an ecosystem of content, including an originally reported and interactive branded content piece further diving into natural principles that are inspiring the latest in technology. Sourcing from these elements, we created mobile and desktop ad units which teased the film.

In the days following launch, GE's VR film helped the NYT VR app quickly become The New York Times most rapidly adopted app, and by April had more than 500,000 downloads, including 1.5 million+ views of NYT VR content.

As expected, the execution had tremendous impact across platforms. Thanks in part to “Nature Is Inspiring Our Digital Future” NYT VR was a major success:

-1.3 million+ Google Cardboards distributed.

-Over 500,000 downloads of the NYTVR app

-NYT VR content viewed more than 1.5 million times.

-6 minutes in-app engagement time.

-Due to the success of this project, a further 300,000 headsets will be distributed to select digital subscribers.

-350 million earned impressions for GE

-40K real-time social mentions

The execution as a whole saw significant press coverage, landing on AdAge’s Best Branded Content Partnerships of 2015, as well as helping T Brand Studio to be named Ad Week’s Hottest in Native Advertising in 2015.

The Paid Post exceeded benchmarks with more than 200,000 page views and an 1:46 engagement time.

The project is the result of the alliance between several brands to launch NYT VR and deliver 1.3 million Google Cardboard headsets — the largest ever single distribution of VR technology. With a wide-reaching readership that includes C-suite executives and tech enthusiasts, the audience was ideal to engage with GE’s Industrial Internet.

We looked to tell a story only the Times’ and GE could tell, and, using VR technology, place our audience within that story. A metaphor sourced from The Time’s journalism itself allowed us to welcome readers into the new world of VR in an organic fashion. They found warmth and familiarity but also the excitement of the natural world, traveling to the desert, or under the sea, in the process. As the experience continues, the links between nature and GE tech become more apparent, connecting those innovations with the innovations of VR itself.

The New York Times and GE shared a common vision: to deliver the largest distribution of virtual technology in history. The partnership marked a breakthrough moment in the new era of VR.

Last November, 1.3 million NYT home subscribers found Google Cardboard headsets bundled with their Sunday Times, giving GE the platform to engage readers with cutting-edge storytelling tools. Using VR we showed the connection between interspecies communication and how GE’s Industrial Internet is leading to a more connected world in our factories, cities and homes.

The experience took inspiration from The Times’ journalism itself, and was paired with an original branded content piece promoting the film by exploring the connections between nature and technology. Viewers stepped inside The New York Times to discover a colorful, paper-inspired animated 3D world. Immersed in this new universe, readers came to fully understand GE’s technology and its natural inspiration.