How We Built a Flight Simulator Brand Activation for PenFed Credit Union
When PenFed Credit Union came to Elation Digital, the request was simple but ambitious: do more than advertise. They wanted an experience that would capture attention, create real joy, and show audiences what PenFed has to offer. We answered with a flight simulator that lets anyone step into the cockpit and pilot their own plane. It was so popular that PenFed asked for a second version, and the program beat its data-capture expectations in multiple markets.
Here is how this brand activation agency project came together.
Financial services brands compete in a crowded, low-excitement category. A banner and a brochure rarely stop anyone walking a busy event floor. PenFed needed a reason for people to stop, play, and spend a few minutes with the brand, and it needed that engagement to produce measurable results.
The answer was an immersive flight-simulator experience called “Take the PenFed Challenge.” Visitors sit in a racing-style seat, take hold of a flight joystick, and fly a stunt plane over a coastal landscape. While they play, they learn about the services PenFed Credit Union provides.
The activation was co-branded with Goulian Aerosports, and the booth design carried that aviation theme through every backdrop, banner, and seat. A monitor mounted above each setup mirrored the pilot’s view, so people waiting in line could watch the action and get excited for their turn.
The first build put players inside the cockpit. Using a virtual reality experience, visitors put on a headset and are taken into the sky with a full 360-degree view of themselves flying a plane. A flight joystick and a racing-style seat give the experience a physical, grounded feel, which makes the simulation convincing and unforgettable.
The format builds on the same ideas behind our VR free flight experience, where the sense of presence does most of the selling.
PenFed saw the response to the VR build and wanted more. So we created a second version around a panoramic, 180-degree curved screen. Inspired by the racing cabinets people know from arcades across the country, it uses a custom blue frame, a bucket seat, a joystick, pedals, and built-in speakers.
Because there is no headset to put on and take off, players can hop in and out quickly. That means more people move through the same footprint, and setup is faster for the event team. If you like this format, see how a similar approach works in our motion driving experience.
VR delivers maximum immersion for each player, while the curved screen delivers throughput and spectator appeal.
Teams can choose the right build for the venue, footprint, and expected crowd size.
Kids, families, and seasoned pilots all jumped in, and the pilots on site were just as engaged as first-time players.
An activation is only as good as what it delivers for the brand. PenFed’s simulator exceeded expectations for data capture in multiple markets. Tablet stations beside the seats gave the team a simple way to connect play with follow-up, which is the same principle that makes games so effective for trade show lead generation.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.