Varjo looked at the VR technology on the market and saw a blur. This was a big problem for anyone who wanted to use VR. But for professionals looking to use VR for design, architecture, construction, engineering and training and simulation, the low resolution of other devices made using them out of the question. The clarity their work demanded just wasn’t there.

The industry agreed that crystal clear VR was the future, but that achieving it would take at least 10 years. Varjo didn’t think the world should have to wait that long. They created and patented their Bionic Display and introduced Human-eye resolution VR.

Our insight for the VR-1 launch concept was to empower professionals to do things that are impossible with any other device on the market.

We wanted to convey to professionals in design, engineering, simulation and training that it’s no longer just Varjo’s vision of human-eye resolution and complete immersion that’s a reality. It’s yours.

20/20 created a marketing concept, strategy, visuals, copy, films and website that tell the amazing story of the technology celebrates the design and use cases of VR-1 by placing it in the context of actual users. 20/20 Helsinki travelled the globe to talk to some of Varjo’s amazing partners about how VR-1 changes virtually everything.

The website was the hero of the launch project. The main goal was to achieve an inspiring and functional website that reflects the concept and provides in-depth information on the product and it’s uses. Testimonials from some of Varjo’s biggest partners – including Audi, Siemens, Saab, Sellen, Asymptote and more – were used to bring the features to life, add a story element, and to add credibility to a brand that’s challenging the status quo.

The look and feel of the entire site is inspirational yet functional. It features an editorial-style layout with large, bold product images and a hint of lifestyle images.

The product page plays a crucial role with high-quality product images, an inspirational story and all the product details. Once people have seen the product, they need to be convinced that the product actually works as well as told.

Each of Varjo’s main verticals got its own page, where the device’s key features were described in the context of the specific value they add to each vertical. The in-depth interviews 20/20 did with Varjo’s partners were used as articles, videos and quotes throughout the site and in the film.

The website is also a store. The purchasing funnel was designed to be as easy for people buying one device as for those looking to contact Varjo to purchase several products.

See the site – you won’t believe your eyes.

The goal was to empower forward-looking professionals and to put tech giants like Apple, Microsoft and Google on the defense.

The result is a strategic marketing concept and campaign that redefines how tech startups share their vision and technology with the world.

The launch was a huge success and was not missed by anyone in the field. Global press including Forbes, Wired, New York Times, Daily Mail, Cnet, Reuters, BBC, CNBC, TechCrunch, Engadget and The Verge to mention a few covered the Varjo VR-1 launch in articles that surpassed in total over 500news articles, reaching millions of people.

The number of pageviews on the websites increased 319% and the number of visitors 340% post launch (4 months before launch compared to 4 months after the launch).

“The entire Varjo team has been hard at work for 2+ years to make nothing less than the best headset on the planet. Nothing has been left to chance, nothing has been compromised and we are delighted that the response from our partners has been overwhelmingly positive. VR-1 marks the start of a new era in virtual reality for professionals.”
Urho Konttori, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Varjo

“The incredible visuals provided by Varjo VR-1, combined with the industry-leading graphical power of Unreal Engine 4, show an exciting future for high-end visualization,”
Simon Jones, Director of Unreal Engine Enterprise at Epic.

“Varjo is pushing the boundaries of what's possible in VR fidelity. The text quality, combined with eye tracking, makes this the first headset to move us closer to virtual reality feeling real. With such high graphical fidelity, we’re really proud that Varjo chose Unity as their development platform of choice for their headset.”
Timoni West, Director of XR Research at Unity Technologies.

Client
Varjo Technologies
Chief Marketing Officer: Jussi Mäkinen
Marketing and Communications Lead: Annaleena Kuronen

20/20
Creative Director: Jyri Rapo
Website - Art Director: Taina Tirkkonen
Copywriter: Lissu Moulton / Annaleena Kuronen
Client Director: Mia Oksala
Project Assistant: Olli Tiainen

Film Production
Production Company: 20/20 & VS
Director: Jyri Rapo
DOP: Pete Smithsuth
Producers: Mia Oksala, Jam Potong
VFX: Post Control
SFX: Jani Saajanaho
Music: The Demon Dance by Julian Winding

Photography
Photographers: Liisa Vääriskoski, Anton Sucksdorff

Technology
www: Reason