LPGA’s ‘Putt Like a Lady’ VR game is darker and more surreal than anyone expected

By now, VR experiences have become same-old same-old, but Accenture Song subverted expectations with an interesting project for the LPGA—a virtual experience called “In Her Head” that’s unsettling, innovative and unique enough to be in the running for the Tribeca X Award. “In Her Head” premiered in April as a VR experience at an LPGA spring tournament. Attendees put on VR goggles and were invited to play a game called “Putt Like a Lady”—a rather condescending name, as the case study points out, for what looked like an ordinary putting challenge. But things soon took a turn for the bizarre, as the golf ball transformed into a eyeball staring up at the player, and the hole expanded into a yawning blackness—swallowing the ball, then the player, and leading to an existential darkness where the user is forced to contemplate the intense pressures LPGA players face daily. The project—led by Jason Kreher, chief creative officer, brand for North America, at Accenture Song—is based on real stories from 60 female golfer interviews. The goal is to shift the thinking on what it’s really like to “putt like a lady”—as women in the sport battle not only on the course but a world where they get only a sliver of sponsorship money to pay for agencies, travel costs, equipment, coaching and more. Hijacking a lighthearted game with something more upsetting is a bold move for the LPGA, and an impressive addition to the conversation around mental health in sports generally. “Empathy is one of the strongest ways to help change someone's point of view,” said Kreher. “For this project it wasn't enough to tell people that the pressures unique to female athletes are insane ... we needed them to feel it. Immersive experiences are cool, but this one was an incredibly effective way to tell this story.” “Those who joined this thinking they could beat some of the best female athletes in the world were visibly less confident when walking out. It was moving to feel the tone shift as people walked in, thinking it was a fun game, only to emerge with their minds changed,” added Sollin Sæle, creative at Accenture Song. Audiences at Tribeca X 2023 will get a taste of experience. See more about the project at inherhead.io.

LPGA’s ‘Putt Like a Lady’ VR game is darker and more surreal than anyone expected

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