Abstract
This chapter addresses the potential of virtual reality (VR) as a storytelling medium for experiential marketing and the accessibility of cultural heritage sites through a case study of a cinematic VR storytelling aimed to enhance the visitor experience at the Archeological Park of Cuma (Italy). The immersive storytelling was used both as a persuasive tool in the pre-visit stage and as a core element of the on-site visit experience for improved accessibility. The VR storytelling was created through a user-centred design process involving users and in collaboration with heritage curators. The case study illustrates how the cinematic immersive narrative is used to engage viewers, developing a connection between two VR experiences that experiment different narratives in relation to their functions in the visitor experience. Theoretical, methodological, and managerial implications are discussed for the design of visitor-centric experiences and the development of experiential marketing strategies.
TopIntroduction
Stories have always been at the core of cultural heritage interpretation, communication and experience design (Bedford, 2001; Nielsen, 2017; Moscardo, 2020). Storytelling in cultural heritage aims to make cultural contents more attractive for audiences and to facilitate the learning process, typically through the creation of a story/fiction (real or invented but reliable) set in a wider cultural and scientifically based context (Pietroni & Adami, 2014). The advancement in digital technologies provided unprecedented opportunities for telling stories to attract, engage and inspire cultural heritage visitors (Daley, 2021; Katifori et al., 2020; Palombini, 2017).
Research in this area devoted increasing attention to storytelling in the design of experiences mediated by Virtual Reality (VR) as a strategic approach to make heritage meaningful, memorable and accessible to different audiences (Bozzelli et al., 2019; Pagano et al., 2020; Škola et al., 2020). Triggering visitors’ interest, empathy and imagination, storytelling represents a fundamental component in the design of memorable virtual heritage experiences (Roussou, 2008).
A growing number of successful cases illustrate the unprecedented and unmatched ability of VR to immerse visitors into stories and place them at the center of an experience (Gillam, 2017). The Oculus VR experience “Meeting Rembrandt: Master of Reality”, developed in 2017 by ForceField in partnership with Rijksmuseum and Samsung Gear VR, transports visitors back to 1642 in Amsterdam to meet the painter at work in his house and discover details about his famous masterpiece The Night Watch. The 360° Viking Battle video produced by Black Dot Films for the National Geographic allows viewers to experience the life of Vikings and be immersed in the fray of an epic battle with over 600 hardcore reenactors armed with swords and axes. In 2019, the videogame company Ubisoft, creator of Assassin’s Creed, with renowned expertise in re-creating historic sites, developed for the Arab World Institute (France) the VR experience “Age Old Cities: A Virtual Journey from Palmyra to Mosul” that transports visitors to some of humanity’s oldest settlements destroyed or damaged by war. By the same company is the Discovery Tour series of dedicated educational games to explore and learn about the history and daily life of Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt and the Viking Age. Successful examples also include VR productions premiered at films festivals, such as the live-action documentary film “Carriberrie” that celebrates Indigenous Australian song and dance through a journey across iconic Australian locations to experience first-person traditional and contemporary performances bringing together Aboriginal history, stories, music, and dance.
Notwithstanding the growing research and practice in this area, which is fueled by the availability of devices (including head-mounted displays - HMD) and distribution platforms, the potential of VR as a narrative medium in its own right (Aylett & Louchart, 2003) for promoting visitors’ engagement and creating enhanced heritage experiences along the visitor journey is yet to be fully explored and exploited.
To contribute to advance knowledge in this field, this chapter addresses the use of VR as a narrative medium for experiential marketing and the accessibility of cultural heritage sites. Specifically, it focuses on cinematic storytelling in VR and its potential for the creation of immersive experiences of ‘invisible’ heritage, including sites that are not fully accessible by all potential visitors.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Narrative Engagement: The multi-dimensional experience of becoming engaged in a narrative, including cognitive, affective and sensory dimensions.
Visitor Experience: The experience of visitors along the journey, from the pre-visit stage for decision-making and planning, to the visit stage with access to cultural resources and the post-visit stage for recalling memories, reflection and sharing.
User-Centred Design (UCD): An iterative design approach that puts users and their needs at the core of the design process. To create products that are satisfying, usable, and accessible to users, the design team in the UCD cycle includes end users at every stage through an increasing number and types of research and design methodologies.
Digital Storytelling: The use of digital media for the production and diffusion of stories combining narrative with multimedia contents (including images, sound, video).
Experiential marketing: An approach to marketing that focuses on customer experiences rather than on product functional characteristics and benefits, using emotional and experiential stimuli to influence decision-making processes.
Cinematic Virtual Reality (CVR): While an established definition is still under development, the term is used to identify a type of VR experience that immerses users into fixed and predetermined narratives, including live-action film contents, unfolding in a linear way like in traditional movies within a 360-degree environment.
Virtual Reality (VR): The range of technologies and devices (including head-mounted displays) that create the sense for users of being immersed in a computer-simulated environment different from the place where they are physically located.