The Economist Group taps interactive 3-D, VR to promote Porsche

Dive Brief:

The Economist Group launched its first integrated marketing campaign called Inter/Sections to promote the new Porsche Panamera model, the publisher said in a press release made available to Marketing Dive.
The campaign includes a microsite that explores interconnected ideas across architecture, gastronomy, sport and motoring, leveraging interactive 3-D and virtual reality (VR) models of each intersection, along with four films, 3-D infographics and essays. The effort marks the first time The Economist Group has used 3-D modeling in standard media display units.
A 3-D rendering of the Porsche Panamera included in the campaign has already achieved 5,000 views-per-hour and more than 1.5 million engagements, according to Michael Dolan, director of digital experience strategy at The Economist.

Dive Insight:

Inter/Sections arrives as the latest example of how marketers can tie together multiple forms of storytelling to create a more immersive, engaging overall experience. While the campaign includes traditional print and video elements, the fact that the 3-D Porsche render has seen traction points to how smartly leveraging cutting-edge technology can provide real value and be a draw in and of itself.

"We created a 3-D rendering of the Porsche Panamera that lets users interact with the model and see the vehicle from all side in a way they don't usually engage with digital advertising," Dolan said in a statement.

Inter/Sections is also interesting in offering more comprehensive lifestyle content centered on areas like gastronomy and architecture that, while not directly tied to Porsche, fit into the brand's broader conception of its ideal, cultured customer.

Microsites or dedicated content pages like the one for Inter/Sections are becoming increasingly popular as a way to showcase more robust content marketing and can also serve as central hubs that tie together multichannel marketing. For publishers facing down headwinds like ad blocking technology, branded content efforts like The Economist's are growing in popularity.