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Time, Inc. doubles down on VR with holographic recordings intended for Mars


The holographic videos will feature Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin and entertainer Reggie Watts sharing their own inspirational takes on the Mars missions. The mass media conglomerate will distribute the Message to Mars recordings via its LIFE VR vertical in early 2017. 

?We will be releasing a teaser of then full HTC Vive experience on LIFE VR?s Cardboard app, and feel confident that once our viewers get a taste of it they?ll want to see the complete room scale experience,? said Mia Tramz, managing editor of LIFE VR. 

?The power of getting to be with Buzz on the moon is undeniable and a great addition to Time?s legacy of space coverage.?

Made for Mars
The videos leverage 8i?s proprietary technology that allows the firm to easily translate photorealistic holograms of humans into immersive virtual reality and augmented reality platforms. 8i?s software eliminates the dreaded uncanny valley that plagues most computer-generated depictions of humans. 

?8i?s unique video-based approach, leverages volumetric capture and holographic reconstruction, which delivers the highest fidelity photorealistic 3D holograms of humans with facial details, fingers, hair and movement that look real,? said Linc Gasking, CEO of 8i.  ?The volumetric hologram allows the viewer to walk completely around, providing a true sense of depth and presence which makes you as if you're in the same room with he person you're watching.?

Buzz Aldrin and Reggie Watts are the first two to participate in the project, with Mr. Aldrin sharing personal experiences and his own vision for the Mars Mission, and Mr. Watts performing an improvisational song. The choice to call on them embodies the initiative?s ethos and purpose: to provide an avenue of communication between the new frontier of Mars and all of humanity back home. 

?When we started the project, we contacted luminaries and entertainers who we felt would would be compelled to share an inspiring or uplifting message for scientists and astronauts preparing for mankind's journey to Mars, including the 6 people in 12 months isolation at the Mars simulation hub,? Mr. Gasking said. ?Reggie Watts was the perfect hologram to send first because he is very uplifting, incredibly talented and just fun to watch.? 

?Buzz Aldrin was clearly an obvious choice. As a pioneer of outer space, Buzz would now also become a pioneer of virtual space.?

News of the partnership has raised some eyebrows

Distribution partnership
While the initial purpose of the videos is to provide some semblance of human contact for future explorers of Mars, LIFE VR?s distribution deal with 8i will make the messages featured in these videos accessible for the rest of us. 

Distribution will occur through LIFE VR?s app and wherever VR is available, including a dedicated mobile channel for Google Cardboard. The company will also distribute 360-degree VR video through its mobile-optimized Web site. 

A screenshot from LIFE VR's latest offering ahead of Messages to Mars

Allowing consumers to view the content will drum up support for the Mars mission with viewers on Time?s many channels, while also being an organic way to generate interest for LIFE VR as a brand. The partnership mirrors the kind of mutually beneficial relationships that platforms have been making with content creators, such as Drake?s decision to release his album Views as an Apple Music exclusive for a short time a year after the platform?s debut. 

The Messages to Mars program is one of many LIFE VR?s major immersive video collaborations as of late. Last week it debuted a series chronicling a climb from the bottom of Mount Everest to the top in collaboration with Time, Inc.?s Sports Illustrated imprint (see story). 

And insurance companies have been getting in on the VR train, as well. Liberty Mutual recently set out to help home and auto owners address their maintenance worries through a series of mobile-optimized 360-degree videos featuring HGTV?s Chip Wade (see story). 

?We have an ambitious programming slate that pays homage to the legacy of our biggest titles ? including TIME, Sports Illustrated, People, Entertainment Weekly, InStyle, Travel + Leisure, Essence and many more ? while being forward looking and innovative within this new medium,? Ms. Tramz said. 

?This application of 8i?s technology to a topic that our readership already looks to TIME for is a perfect fit both for the Time and LIFE VR brands.?