Witness the empowerment of youth in Virtual Reality

Put on your VR goggles and gain an immersive perspective of the life of a teenager from Nepal. The ‘Power for Youth’ program, a partnership between ING and UNICEF, seeks to empower young people in developing countries by providing them with both social and financial knowledge. To capture one of these stories, Scopic, a VR studio based in Amsterdam, travelled to rural Nepal.

Creating awareness through Virtual Reality

When filming 360° content used for VR, the question ‘what is happening behind the camera’ is never asked. Once you put on the goggles, you are simply there. It allows the viewer to decide where to look, and what to interpret. It is therefore no surprise that VR is often called an incredible tool for creating awareness. 

Meet Bibek

In this film you meet Bibek, a 19-year old Nepalese ‘Power for Youth’ participant. He used the skills he learned in the program to set up his own tea shop which allows him to provide for himself and his family. Not only does he plan to expand his business, he also uses his acquired skillset to teach others in and around the village. 

Spreading the message

ING and UNICEF wanted a unique way of telling the stories behind the ‘Power for Youth’ program. The program’s ambitions are high: they want to reach more than 300.000 young people by the end of 2018. Therefore, a tool that highlights the program’s importance and results was necessary. After travelling a total of three days, the Scopic VR professionals reached the remote village and shot incredible footage using the newest Nokia OZO 3D virtual reality camera, and recorded spatial audio to complement the visuals. All in order to give audiences worldwide a taste of Bibek’s life, high up in the mountains. 

Global reach, global attention

The video was shared rapidly through social media, reaching many people. Also, ING and UNICEF organized pop-up VR cinemas where the video was showcased. In sum, much awareness was created both within and outside of the organizations, making the innovative VR project a huge success.