TOYOTA HITS THE VIRTUAL ROAD WITH DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS IN CUSTOM ‘DISCOVERY VR’ SERIES
‘Let’s Go Places: Austin’ Extends Partnership, Builds on Discovery’s Virtual Reality Leadership
January 25, 2016
Silver Spring, Md. – Discovery Communications and Toyota today announce that they have partnered on an immersive digital experience with the launch of LET’S GO PLACES: AUSTIN. The 10-episode virtual reality series transports audiences to unique experiences and attractions in and around Austin, Texas with Brian Brushwood and Justin Robert Young as their guides. The Discovery VR native series marks the first time Toyota has partnered to create dynamic content using the new technology.
The custom travelogue taps into the powerful storytelling capabilities of virtual reality and turns viewers into road trip buddies along for the ride as Brushwood and Young take us on unique adventures – from barefoot waterskiing on Lake Austin and a visit to the Natural Bridge Caverns to a boisterous Barton Creek drum circle and a visit to the local Cathedral of Junk. Virtually traversing the area in a Toyota Rav4 Hybrid, viewers can experience firsthand the thrills of Austin that they may not otherwise be able to enjoy. LET’S GO PLACES: AUSTIN is available across Discovery VR’s platforms, including DiscoveryVR.com as well as iOS and Android apps. Audiences also can immerse themselves in 360-degree experiences on Discovery Channel’s Facebook page and Discovery Channel and Seeker’s YouTube channels.
“Toyota is incredibly excited to partner with Discovery to deliver truly ground-breaking, digital content featuring the new RAV4 Hybrid,” said Dionne Colvin-Lovely, Director, Traditional and New Media, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. “As virtual reality becomes ever so prevalent in the advertising space, it’s a natural fit for Toyota to utilize the technology in ways that allow our fans to explore the world around them with a simple click of a button.”
“Discovery Communications prides itself on bringing innovative, engaging and impactful solutions to its partners, with a focus on world-class native offerings,” said Harold Morgenstern, Senior Vice President, Digital Ad Sales, Discovery Communications. “As a leading storyteller in the virtual reality space, we are thrilled to team up again with Toyota to bring audiences on the road and immerse them in everyday adventures as only Discovery and Toyota can.”
To experience LET’S GO PLACES: AUSTIN, go to DiscoveryVR.com, download the Discovery VR apps for iOS and Android, check out Discovery Channel on Facebook, or visit Discovery Channel and Seeker on YouTube.
About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world’s #1 pay-TV programmer reaching 3 billion cumulative subscribers in more than 220 countries and territories. For 30 years Discovery has been satisfying curiosity and entertaining viewers with high-quality content through its global brands, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, Science and Turbo/Velocity, as well as U.S. joint venture network OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, and through the Discovery Digital Networks portfolio, including TestTube, Seeker and SourceFed. Discovery owns Eurosport, the leading pan-regional sports entertainment destination across Europe and Asia-Pacific. Discovery also is a leading provider of educational products and services to schools, including an award-winning series of K-12 digital textbooks, through Discovery Education. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), the world's top automaker and creator of the Prius and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. Over the past 50 years, we’ve built more than 30 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 42,000 people (more than 33,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.67 million cars and trucks (more than 2.35 million in the U.S.) in 2014 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today.
Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the country, with a focus on education, safety and the environment. As part of this commitment, we share the company’s extensive know-how garnered from building great cars and trucks to help community organizations and other nonprofits expand their ability to do good. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.