Cutting-edge campus tour wins prestigious tech award

Deakin University Flight DX3K beat out global brand giants Expedia, Nissan, Merrell, and Target to win the coveted award that recognises the best work in digital marketing from around the world.

The immersive in-flight experience, which utilises 360-degree drone footage to showcase Deakin’s Burwood, Geelong Waterfront, Geelong Waurn Ponds and Warrnambool campuses in just two minutes, captivated thousands of prospective students at Deakin’s Open Days in 2015 and 2016.

Mr Matt Edge, Director of Digital Marketing at Deakin University, said that Flight DX3K puts a thoroughly modern spin on the campus tour.

“Open Days are an amazing opportunity where we’ve got thousands of people turning up and hoping to be informed and inspired and we knew we needed to do something special,” Mr Edge said.

“Campus tours have always played a big role, but they haven't really ever changed. So we asked ourselves, what would it mean to reinvent the campus tour of a future-focussed university like Deakin?

“The answer was to provide an experience in keeping with Deakin driving the digital frontier, we utilised drones and 360 degree cameras to create the virtual reality theme park style ride where the passengers were treated to a thrilling flight through all of our campuses.”

Mr Edge said the shared experience is what that really sets Flight DX3K apart from other virtual reality experiences.

“Flight DX3K is housed in a purpose-built seven metre cube with a platform that allows up to 12 people to share the experience together,” Mr Edge said.

“With a VR headset, it’s just you – the wearer – who is caught up in the 3D experience. Flight DX3K, however, is basically a giant VR headset that allows you and 11 of your friends to share the exact same experience at the same time.”

Mr Edge said that the technology continues to inspire potential students after Open Day.

“It’s not always practical to transport a seven metre cube around the country,” Mr Edge said.

“So we adapted the technology to become an individual headset that our student recruitment team takes with them when they visit high schools.

“Not only is it a wonderfully engaging experience, it also firmly places Deakin at the head of the pack when it comes to digital and technological innovation.”

The Mashie award follows previous awards for DX3K, including being highly commended by Mumbrella for innovation and a Melbourne Design Award for branded experience.

Enjoy a behind the scenes look at DX3K via this video from Deakin's You Tube channel.