We had the opportunity to experience Oculus Rift technology in Dallas last week and the experience was pretty remarkable. The sense of total immersion, even in the obviously digital in-store environment we reviewed was stunningly complete. It was amazing how quickly the senses adapted to the new inputs and filled in the missing gaps.

Which may be why this story about Volvo’s use of low-cost, easily-acquired Google Cardboard as a platform to introduce pre-launch interest in their XC90 SUV caught our attention. The video synopsis below makes us yearn for an opportunity to see what having a larger budget and fully-immersive wrap around video would be like.

Building an virtual reality experience off little more than folded cardboard and a smartphone is a brilliant way to reach a broader audience. Our congratulations to the innovative minds at R/GA and the filmmaking skills of Framestore for collaborating to create a seamless world we would love to visit.

Beyond automotive, the commercial applications for tourism, cruiselines, themeparks and hotels seem immediately obvious. And we can’t wait for the first innovator to create a true, Google Cardboard feature movie. Wow. That will be fun.

Dennis & Mike