City living can be manic at the best of times – but when it comes to the day-to-day craziness of city life, nothing compares to the buzzing concrete jungle that is Mexico City.
The hectic Mexican capital is one of the most densely-populated places on the planet, with its more than 20 million residents surrounded by buildings, cars, people, and a constant buzz of industry every single day.
But the many undoubtedly overwhelmed citizens of the Latin American city were offered a unique opportunity to escape their stressful surroundings without ever venturing outside the city limits – thanks to a unique VR experience set up in the heart of their hometown.
I want to get away: A unique virtual reality experience was set up in the heart of Mexico City to help residents escape from the mania of their everyday lives
The perfect setting: Created by Corona, the VR experience was meant to transport residents of the busiest city in the world to a picturesque paradise
Created by beer brand Corona, the secret installation was only accessible through a faux vending machine, which opened up to reveal a secret doorway into an interactive set.
There, people were handed a VR headset and quickly transported to all manner of different natural paradises, from the deepest, darkest jungles of the Amazon, to beautiful sunlit beaches.
And, thanks to the unique set design created by Corona, it wasn’t just a case of seeing to believe; wind machines and other tactile aspects of the experience meant that participants quite literally felt as though they were being immersed in their incredible surroundings.
‘The immersive VR installation simulated a journey to paradise through a jungle setting, awakening the senses and bringing the feeling of being completely immersed in nature,’ a statement released by the brand explained.
Tactile: As well as giving participants a headset, the creators of the experience set up all manner of other elements to make them feel as though they were in whatever world they saw
Natural beauty: The point of the project was to make people realize how important it is to get outside and embrace natural as much as possible
Knock knock: The VR installation was access through a secret door within a vending machine
‘To heighten the realism, sand, heat, wind and even scents, allowed visitors to feel real-world elements as they traveled along a virtual path through the jungle to the beach.’
The experience was set up in an attempt to encourage city residents to make more of an effort to step outside their concrete jungles and embrace the natural world around them.
According to Corona, the average person spends a whopping 90 per cent of their life inside – a statistic which the brand hopes to try and change.
‘Corona is on a mission to encourage people around the world to reconnect with nature and the outdoors because we spend on average 90 per cent of our time inside,’ the beverage brand explained in a statement.
Green thumb: ‘The immersive VR installation simulated a journey to paradise through a jungle setting,’ a statement from the brand explained
Helping hand: ‘We wanted to alleviate a tension for people,’ Thiago Zanettini, Global VP Corona said of the project
‘Corona believes outside is where our best side shines through, but getting outside to experience nature isn’t as easy as it should be with over half of the world’s population currently living in urban areas.’
And nowhere is that struggle more real than in Mexico City, which not only boasts one of the densest populations on Earth, it is also landlocked and surrounded by snow-capped volcanoes and mountains, meaning escape from the city is all but impossible for residents.
At least until recently.
The brand now hopes that those people lucky enough to escape to their own pretty paradise within their city realize the importance of finding the time to get out into nature on a regular basis.
‘We wanted to alleviate a tension for people,’ Thiago Zanettini, Global VP Corona said of the project.