California-based Archer, a company designing and developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL), debuted its Maker aircraft both live in Los Angeles and streamed to a global audience on the evening of June 10. The intimate, COVID-safe in-person event was held at the Hawthorne Hangar Operations and utilized industry leading XR technology to take audiences on a virtual ride on Maker.
In order to create a unique and completely immersive experience, Archer utilized movie production technology to bring its aircraft to life, an eVTOL industry first. The company built a 2,400 sq ft XR volume space that simulated a commercial flight and demonstrated how Archer will shape the next era of travel by transforming how people approach everyday life, work, and adventure. By creating a mass shared simulation using the film industry’s most cutting edge technology, attendees were able to virtually ride Archer’s aircraft, experiencing the next transportation revolution.
“Archer has a big, bold company vision and our approach to this milestone moment had to match that,” said Louise Bristow, who leads Marketing and Communications for Archer and assembled the creative team. “We wanted to deliver an experience that went beyond the conventions of normal product launches and to bring together a unique group of partners to create something truly immersive for our audience.”
“Maker’s unveil has been years in the making and marks a pivotal juncture for the eVTOL industry and future of transportation,” said Brett Adcock, co-founder and co-CEO of Archer. “Every day at Archer, we’re working to build the future, and we have never felt closer than we did introducing the world to Maker.
Adam Goldstein, co-founder and co-CEO of Archer added “We’re excited to continue reaching new milestones and introducing our largest cities to the next generation of safe, sustainable travel.”
Archer’s new chief creative officer Kenny Taht, was at the helm of the event’s creative direction, drawing on over three decades of experiential design and television production to bring Maker to life. “True innovation requires inspiration, which is why the team at Archer put great emphasis on creating a groundbreaking, highly engaging moment for Maker’s unveil,” said Taht. “In order to progress UAM, continuous education is needed and, with this experience, we’ve helped introduce travelers to this new reality.”
Maker’s unveil is the latest example of Archer’s continued momentum, setting the stage for the next phase of engineering and flight testing. With backing from the United Airlines commercial order and the recently announced merger with Atlas Crest Investment Corporation (NYSE: ACIC), the company says it is valued at $3.8 billion and in an excellent financial position to continue on its accelerated timeline toward commercial launch in 2024.