Royal Building Products Introduces Entertaining VR Content to Showcase Innovative Product Benefits in Immersive Format

Written by Steve Booz, Vice President of Marketing at Royal® Building Products
In a year when many key industry trade show events have been cancelled or gone online, why not have a little fun in the virtual reality (VR) environment? When Royal® Building Products, a Westlake company and leading manufacturer of exterior building products, faced a year without product demonstrations and in-person trade shows, the brand marketing team decided it was time to pivot in order to reach its target audience of industry professionals in a new channel.
Royal’s new “In the Lab” 360 Video Series was developed by Royal’s agency partner, Planit, to connect digitally with audiences that the brand usually connects with in-person at trade shows. In addition to being informative, the videos are also entertaining and funny, a combination the brand hopes will capture the attention of these pros in a digital format.
“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.”
The effort is now playing a 360 role in the global exterior manufacturer’s marketing mix going forward—leveraging entertaining VR content that showcases innovative product benefits in an immersive format.
“VR content is here to stay for Royal,” said Booz. “This series kicks off a new focus on immersive and engaging content that ensures they stand out in a noisy online world. We’re looking forward to all that’s ahead as we push the boundaries of innovation.”

Introducing a New Product Innovation Experience
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. Roy, who is part “mad scientist” and part engineer, and his trusty sidekick, Al, deliver technical product demonstrations in an immersive and entertaining VR format.
For example, in one of the videos, viewers can learn all about Zuri® 100 per cent PVC Premium Decking’s moisture protection. In Experiment #534, Roy and Al test out the water and moisture resistance in a fun and visual way. Roy puts on a “suit” that’s made out of the Zuri decking, and then Al dumps a bucket of water all over his decking suit. Sure enough, Roy proclaims that he’s “dry as a bone!” These quirky skits in the lab are sure to keep Royal products top of mind, viewers remembering this decking suit and how Zuri is the perfect solution for moisture protection decking for any outdoor environment. (Plus, we could all use a good laugh!)
The concept was inspired by Royal’s actual research and development facilities, where R&D product engineers put Royal’s building materials, such as Atlas Stone™ Composite Stone Panels and Zuri Premium Decking, through rigorous testing procedures for quality and performance.
With operations throughout Canada and the United States, Royal Building Products offers the renovation, remodelling, and new construction industries a broad range of innovative products, including siding, trim, accessories, soffit, rainware, mouldings and decking. The “In the Lab” campaign features 20 videos highlighting various products, including:
- Celect® Siding and Trim
- Celect® Cellular Composite Siding
- Zuri® Premium Decking
- Cedar Renditions™ Genuine Wood
- Atlas Stone® Composite Stone Panels
- Conceal™ Trim &Moulding
- SurEdge™Trimboard
- Portsmouth™ Shake & Shingles
- Estate™ Siding
- Board & Batten Siding
- Market Square® Vinyl Siding
- CraneBoard® Solid Core Siding®

Want In on the Full Experience?
Using a mobile device such as a tablet or a smartphone, users can fully immerse themselves in Roy and Al’s innovation lab using cardboard VR viewers or a VR headset. Customers can request VR viewers for free on RoyalBuildingProducts.com/360.
Content can also be enjoyed in 360 degrees without a headset on a smartphone (moving screen up, down, right, left) or on a desktop. These videos reveal design possibilities and offer fun experiments that demonstrate anything from water and wind resistance, to colour exploration and cost savings.
Check out all of Royal’s VR 360 videos, available at RoyalBuildingProducts.com/360 and on the Royal Building Products YouTube Channel.

About Steve Booz
Steve Booz is the Vice President, Marketing & Product Development at Royal Building Products, Exteriors Division which comprises siding, exterior and interior trim and decking products.
For more than 40 years, Royal® Building Products’ commitment to quality, innovation and customer relationships has attracted the loyalty of a growing number of building professionals, architects, engineers and distributors to its products.

About Royal Building Products
Royal Building Products, a Westlake Chemical company (NYSE: WLK), manufactures and distributes leading materials for the home remodeling, building and construction markets. For 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.