Rushes Helps Create VR Garden

Creative studio Rushes has helped create a virtual reality garden as part of a display at this year's RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

The idea was created by advertising agency Atomic London and realised by Deluxe's Rushes. The 'Life Garden' celebrates and thanks more than 100,000 people who have chosen to leave a gift in their Will to the charity.

The garden was a physical installation at the flower show, with people transported to a seemingly endless field of flowers after donning an Oculus Rift headset. The immersive experience featured more than 100,000 flowers bearing the names of supporters who have remembered the charity by leaving a legacy gift.

Produced by the VR team at Rushes, the experience uses software platform Unity, which is traditionally used for developing games and interactive content. Its features enable the controlling, navigating and interacting with objects in real-time 3D environments. Sound can also be positioned in a 3D space to give the user an added level of immersion.

Guy Bradbury, Founding Partner and Executive Creative Director at Atomic London, said: "Virtual reality is too often used as a gimmick – to make people feel like they're on a roller-coaster or walking through a fantasy world. With the Life Garden we've created something that emotionally engages and moves people by starting with the idea and using the technology as the most suitable channel, rather than starting with the technology and trying to work backwards."

Andy McNamara, Deluxe's Rushes Head of CG and Immersive, added: "It was a pleasure for us at Rushes to work in collaboration with Atomic and Cancer Research UK and push the envelope of what can be achieved with this new medium for a cause that is very close to many of us. It demonstrates how VR and immersive technology, when used effectively, can produce a powerful emotional response from an audience – something we are only now starting to explore fully."

Caroline Kent, Director of Legacies at Cancer Research UK, commented: "We believe using this exciting technology alongside our bright and beautiful physical garden is a wonderful way to thank and celebrate every generous supporter who has left a gift in their Will to Cancer Research UK. Atomic London has delivered an incredibly moving experience that we hope will demonstrate our huge appreciation to all those who have supported us in the past with a legacy gift."

A video walkthrough showing the virtual reality garden can be found at www.cruk.org/lifegarden.

www.atomic-london.co.uk

www.rushes.co.uk

www.bydeluxe.com

www.cancerresearchuk.org

(JP/LM)