CES 2021 was challenging. We were in unchartered territory, as everyone tried to figure out how to have a virtual conference that delivered the same impact as years past. It was also an amazing opportunity to roll up our sleeves and be creative. While we were confined by where we could go physically, there were no limits to what we could do virtually.
When it came to supporting our client John Deere, we decided to go big. Typically, we’d bring the farm to Las Vegas. During the global pandemic, we brought journalists to the farm through a unique virtual reality experience.
In advance of CES, we scheduled virtual briefings with 44 journalists, each of whom was delivered a preview package and an Oculus VR headset to their home. When it was time for their interview, they went on a guided VR experience with a Deere spokesperson, who brought them through a four-part journey that showed different parts of the planting process – and all the tech that’s needed to get seeds into the ground.
Media saw barn doors open and a tractor and planter drive straight towards them. They went ten feet underground and learned about different soil types and watched seeds being planted above them. They sat in the cab of a tractor and experienced the difference between trying to drive a tractor themselves vs. letting Deere’s self-driving technology take over. And they visited the bird’s nest, located high in the sky, where they saw an entire farm and learned about the connectivity that is crucial for farmers. One journalist said it was one of the best CES demos they’ve ever had.
Apparently, they weren’t the only ones who thought so, because The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) recognized the work with a coveted Silver Anvil Award of Excellence! Congrats to our client partners John Deere for executing a truly amazing remote CES.
Watch a brief sizzle reel of John Deere’s CES 2021 here.