On the evening of April 7, adobo magazine, brought together the most influential creative industry leaders in an event titled “A Virtual Affair” to experience together the publication’s first experimentation with virtual reality journalism—an immersive and interactive 360 video of its coverage of this year’s Cannes Lion Creative Festival.
This was made possible by adobo magazine’s first VR production crafted by director Edber Mamisao and editor Dezza Rodriguez of Lucid 360 Studios, featuring 360-degree audio by Reggie Ambas of Hit Productions with script, narration, and video by adobo magazine’s own Marj Casal and Ian Handog.
Alongside adobo magazine President and founder Angel Guerrero, Casal and Handog had providing real-time firsthand coverage of the Cannes Lion Festival. The presence of an entire team at the Cannes Festival and the production of VR video both represent a first for adobo magazine, which celebrates this year its tenth anniversary.
“A Virtual Affair” brought over 300 attendees to the Cote de Azure, the South of France’s glamorous Mediterranean beachside—virtually—during the world’s most prestigious creative awards attended by luminaries such as Anderson Cooper, Anthony Bourdain, and David Droga.
The event also marked the launch of adobo magazine’s September-October 2016 issue aptly named “Digital Outbreak” as well as the availability of digital versions of adobo magazine on ABS-CBN publication’s No Ink app.
adobo magazine’s “Digital Outbreak” features Nix Nolledo, angel investor and founder of the highly successful and aptly named Xurpas, OgilvyOne Worldwide Regional CEO Jerry Smith, data scientists Reina Reyes and Isaac Reyes, and the Periodic Table of digital advertising, to name a few.
“A Virtual Affair” was a celebration of partnerships that made the event possible. Google provided free Cardboard VR headsets to everyone present. PLDT provided free high speed broadband connectivity to download the Google app and livestream the VR video. Green Sun provided the venue. Immsrv Asia also treated attendees to a liveVR painting demonstration and installed a VR dome onsite. Co-presenter MyPhone showcased its latest visor-less 3D technology. Heineken and Beer Below Zero provided drinks. Co-hosting the event were Franco Mabanta and none other than adobo magazine VP Janelle Barretto Squires.
In attendance were numerous VIPs such as MyPhone/Solid Group Inc. CEO David Lim, ABS-CBN Publishing Inc. managing director Ernie Lopez, PLDT VP Javier Lagdameo, Hit Productions CEO Vic Icasas, Unilever VP Gina Lorenzana, and former Mediaquest CEO Noel Lorenzana, to name a few.
