Specsavers Give Fans VR Refs Eye View

Rugby league fans attending the Magic Weekend were able to get a new view on the game thanks to Specsavers and Fuse Sport + Entertainment who brought a Virtual Reality (VR) Referee Challenge to the fan zone.

As the official partner of the Rugby Football League and sponsor of the referees, Specsavers invited fans to put themselves in the shoes of the referee, step into the match action and make the right call based on the play that they see via a VR headset.

Fans who weren’t at the Magic Weekend but want to try their luck with the Referee Challenge can view the activity in 360° and go behind the scenes on Specsavers’ Facebook page.

Rachael Cumberland-Dodd, senior campaign manager, marketing at Specsavers, commented: “As champions of the referees we know how vital it is that they look after their eyes and maintain good visual acuity. We’re excited that through VR we’re now able to give rugby league fans the opportunity to see the action from a new perspective and test themselves in big game decisions.”

Rebecca Chance, head of Fuse Sport + Entertainment, Manning Gottlieb said: “Building on our recent success with the sell-out VR experience ‘Virtually Dead’, we’re delighted to now be bringing VR technology to rugby fans for Specsavers. We know that rugby fans love to debate the refs’ calls and with this new immersive experience it’s a chance for them to see if it’s as easy as they think.”

The experience was designed, produced and delivered for Specsavers by Fuse Sport + Entertainment in partnership with Manning Gottlieb OMD, who also supported the campaign with a social media strategy.