Millions of years ago, ancient oceans covered much of the United States and prehistoric sharks roamed where we live today. To celebrate Shark Week, Discovery partnered with Volkswagen to create the "Land of Sharks." Using Google Street View Image API and WebGL, we crafted and developed an immersive 3D experience where users can type in their location and travel back in time to learn more about prehistoric sharks that used to roam their area. As part of the 360º initiative, we followed the Gould family on a journey across America to unearth ancient sharks documenting their road trip through interactive content.
Just like Shark Week, the Volkswagen Atlas brings families together to explore and keep your family focused on just how big and amazing life truly is. We seamlessly aligned with Volkswagen's brand initiative and positioning across all touchpoints and screens. A case study video below highlights the depth, innovation, and success of the partnership.
interactive digital EXPERIENCE
The Land of Sharks experience leveraged WebGL and the Google Image API to transport users to a time where sharks once roamed land. The one-of-a-kind 3D experience traveled across all screens giving viewers the opportunity to uncover a prehistoric shark from their own part of town. Original branded content captured a family road trip where the Gould's traveled across the country to meet shark experts in search of prehistoric shark fossils and to learn about ancient shark species. The journey ends with an underwater shark dive where the Gould family goes up-close with sharks.
GOOGLE STREET VIEW EXPERIENCE
Search an area for a prehistoric shark that once roamed your part of town. Users who uncover a prehistoric shark were then prompted to explore each species in more detail.
Social
A selection of animated art, images, and, illustrations were leveraged across distribution channels to engage social audiences with the content. Vertical video formats featuring the Land of Sharks video series were also distributed to users across Facebook and Twitter.
Illustrations
Hand-drawn illustrations were designed from scratch to recreate ancient shark jaws. We drew inspiration from research, historical perspectives, and expert opinions to create theses unique drawings which were leveraged inside the interactive experience and posted to social channels.
Linear episodes
A 3-part short-form video series aired on television taking viewers on a ride with the Gould family as they uncover The Land of Sharks. The Volkswagen Atlas, a vehicle for keeping your family together, was their mode of transportation across America.
digital originals
While on location we filmed the adventures of the Gould family as they encountered three shark experts. We leveraged expanded interviews, behind-the-scenes content, and additional topics to create a branded content series that was distributed across digital platforms. Below is the collection of videos from the series.
Advertising
A suite of innovative video solutions were targeted across devices and platforms including a new Advanced Video product that was created exclusively for connected TV devices.
IMAGEs & photography
A collection of images shot on location in New Mexico, Florida, and the Bahamas.
