Planit And Royal® Building Products Launch “In the Lab” 360 Video Series: Cinematic VR Content Showcases Innovative Product Benefits in Immersive Format

• Produced by creative agency partner, Planit, Royal’s “In the Lab” 360 series is an immersive playlist of 20 interactive “edu-tainment” videos for industry professionals
• Building industry professionals are provided with a new way to experience Royal’s extensive lineup of home exterior products

BALTIMORE, MD — Planit today reveals the launch of a cinematic VR campaign the Baltimore-based advertising agency developed in partnership with long term client, Royal® Building Products, a Westlake company and leading manufacturer of exterior building products and Workingstiff Films director Matt Pittroff.

Planit produced “In the Lab,” a series of 360 VR videos, as a way to empower Royal to stand out during a challenging year that prevented the brand and its sales team from engaging in-person at key trade shows and product demonstration events. The series also gives industry professionals the chance to get in on the experiment—priming them to be entertained and educated on a breadth of innovative home exterior products in an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment.

“Our creative team was inspired by Royal’s actual research and development facilities where their R&D product engineers put the brand’s most innovative materials through rigorous performance tests,” said Ed Callahan, co-founder and creative strategist at Planit. “By using VR and a pair of comedic hosts, our 360 video experience is truly like nothing else building professionals are experiencing today. We hope the immersive experience is not only entertaining, but keeps Royal top of mind among its audiences.”

Produced to engage digital audiences, the VR videos feature a quirky pair of hosts “Roy and Al,” who invite the audience into their secret state-of-the-art underground laboratory beneath Royal’s headquarters. The most unique element of the campaign was not the quirky hosts but the real cinematic look of the videos. The 360 videos feature movie-quality images with depth of field and quality lighting—without compromising the full 360 view.

“Most high quality cinematic lenses are limited to a field of view of about 90 degrees, so we had to digitally manipulate and construct an extension to the lab set,” explained Mike Unruh, associate creative director at Planit. “When you view the videos, the majority of the scene was created digitally and composited onto the practical shots.”

“As a brand, Royal has always looked for new ways to innovate and connect with our customers both in-person and in a digital format,” said Steve Booz, VP of marketing and product development at Royal Building Products. “Our new ‘In the Lab’ video campaign is intended to reach pros with valuable product education, while providing some much-needed entertainment and storytelling.”

> Preview Royal “In the Lab” 360 Video Series

Using a mobile device such as a smartphone, users can fully immerse themselves in Roy and Al’s innovation lab using cardboard VR viewers (available for free on RoyalBuildingProducts.com/360) or a VR headset. Content can also be enjoyed in 360 degrees without a headset on a smartphone (moving screen up, down, right, left) or on a desktop.

The “In the Lab” campaign features 20 videos highlighting various Royal products and is available at RoyalBuildingProducts.com/360 and on the Royal Building Products YouTube Channel.

Media Contact:
Ashlene Larson, [email protected]

About Planit
We’re Planit. A strategic, digitally-minded agency that leads revolutions for national and global clients. Whether that’s through a variety of media channels, PR, social, or the “next big thing”—if it isn’t bold, creative, and smart, we’re not doing our job. That’s why clients including Royal Building Products, CareFirst, Preen, SourceAmericaKiddie Academy, Sheetz, Curio, and The AMES Companies trust Planit. And that’s why we continue to receive stellar industry recognition, including being named to Entrepreneur Magazine’s Entrepreneur 360™ List, winning the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year ® Award, and Advertising Age’s Small Agency of the Year.

About Royal Building Products
Royal Building Products, a Westlake company (NYSE: WLK), manufactures and distributes leading materials for the home remodeling, building and construction markets. For more than 50 years, the company’s commitment to quality, innovation and customer relationships has attracted the loyalty of a growing number of building professionals, homeowners, architects, engineers and distributors to its products. With operations throughout Canada and the United States, Royal Building Products offers the renovation, remodeling and new construction industries a broad range of innovative products, including siding, trim, accessories, soffit, rainware, mouldings and decking. For more information, please visit www.royalbuildingproducts.com. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram and “Like” us on Facebook.

Disclaimer:
The information presented is made available solely for general information purposes. All sales of Royal Building Products’ trim, mouldings, siding, and other exterior building products are subject to Royal Building Products’ standard terms and conditions of sale, which are available upon request. Royal Building Products makes no other warranty, express or implied, including, but not limited to, any warranty of merchantability or fitness for particular purpose. Royal Building Products and the Royal Building Products logo are registered trademarks of Royal Building Products (USA) Inc.