A sensorial journey to the discovery of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP, a world that is much older than one could imagine. An experience that finds its roots in the vinegar factory and evolves thanks to the Modeneses' ability to pass on a secular art. Because, at the end of the day, the real secret of the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is Modena itself.
The project
This project originates from the needs of whom, every day, protects the authenticity of a product featuring unique properties in the whole world.
The client is the Consortium of the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, an aggregation of voluntary businesses that coordinates and regulates all the common initiatives that are aimed at safeguarding the qualities of this Made in Italy excellence. This goal of protection serves as a starting point to develop the virtual reality project, which can transfer the identity and the distinctive features of the product while helping the general public worldwide to come to appreciate, recognize and look for the only real Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP.
Client: Consortium for the protection of the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
Type of project: VR Application – Unity
Field: VR for marketing
Pros and results:
– Experience otherwise impossible in the real world
– Maximum engagement
– One-to-one message
– Scalability and spread in line with abroad developments
– Unconventional mean of communication
– Distinctive and choral group message
– Tasting on the go, easy to set up in every location
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Discover: the analysis phase
Everything originated from an in-depth phase of analysis of the goals of protection and promotion of the Consortium of the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP. Knowing the client and understanding how it behaves, while trying to make their investment worth it, has been of fundamental importance. It enabled us to give rise to a creative concept coherent with the brand and its positioning. That's how we managed to find a project that goes beyond technology and integrates into the many strategic choices that the Consortium pursues in its activities. The recognizability of the product, its emotional use, the value of internationalization, and a group message for the 51 vinegar factories that are part of the Consortium.
Design: the ideation phase
From the analysis to a problem's solution; many products on the market are considered "balsamic". A large chunk of these voluntarily mimic – desperately, too – the Modenese product, thus resulting very confusing for the end consumer. Considering the high volumes and the product's export developments, together with the assumption that consumers abroad struggle to recognize the authentic Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP, we came up with a creative concept.
The VR offers an immersive experience to those who try it in a virtual tasting. It helps the customer discovering the secrets of a product that is unique in the world. Furthermore, it explains why Modena itself got awarded the IGP mark.
An interactive journey inside a Modenese vinegar factory is composed of three layers: visual, olfactory, and gustatory. It enables the customer to fix in their mind the distinctive features of the product, and therefore being able to recognize it at buying time. During the experience, there will also be a physical anchor point, that is a glass containing Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP. The presence of the glass will amplify the sensations through the sight, the smell, and the taste, thus impressing an unforgettable memory.
Develop: the development phase
The need for a transportable experience required the development of an applicationfor the Oculus Go. This device is stand-alone, very practical yet intuitive. A Unity application that dips the player in a 3D environment, recreated to mimic some of the most important vinegar factories of the Modenese area. The many 3D assets, such as casks, vinegar bottles, the layout of Modena, and ultimately the basin of cooked must, have been animated and sound engineered to transport the user in a pleasant, yet dynamic sensorial journey. Everything has been engineered and optimized to avoid overloading the hardware
Distribute: the spreading phase
This experience and its one-to-one approach will be officially presented during the CIBUS international fair. This event is both engaging and functional thanks to its scalability and its coherence with an international development vision. With just a visor, everywhere will be possible to bring people to a vinegar factory for a virtual tasting session. Moreover, every vinegar factory that is part of the consortium will be provided with hardware devices to welcome their visitors during the "acetaie aperte" events, thus communicating a group message, resembling a brand strictly rooted in its territory and cohesive, just like the people of Modena.