The days of reading a bedtime story with a few pictures on the page is forever in the past. The digital version of books, billboards, and life as we know it will soon be using augmented reality to deliver content. We’ve been doing similar to this for a few decades by hiding easter eggs of content in our traditional media, the secret spot in the original Mario Bros. where you get the flute to change levels or an extra scene in a movie after the credits. Augmented Reality or AR, has been traditionally used to create content much like this to create secret treats that only a handfull of people know about. These modern easter eggs have been steadily picking up steam as innovative developers and savvy brands embrace the possibilities that this new medium offers. What was once a treat enjoyed only by a few technology lovers is now becoming something people look for in well done campaigns and media. Of course just like everything else, doing it is easy but doing it right is the real trick.
This week at SXSW Marvel Comics announced a comic book that will merge the digital and paper world of comics for the first time. Each comic will have an “AR” logo such as the one in the image above. These new comics will let readers see Iron Man fly off the page and take down the Hulk by simply downloading the free Aurasma app. Merging books and AR isn’t a completely new idea but offering it on such a large scale hints at the growing trend and appeal of the technology. Marvel certainly won’t be the last to adapt this tech, especially in the realm of children’s books. It won’t be long before we see Dr. Seuss’ books with AR worlds popping out of the pages.
The Marketing industry has been using AR for some time now as well, especially in the toy industry. However companies such as Domino’s, Starbucks and Volkswagen are joining in. For instance look at the Domino’s billboard above, they are now using AR to connect to customers and allowing them to download the app to make an order, see the menu, and find locations. All of these options are hidden on the billboard but can only be accessed with the AR application.
Take a look at Volkswagon’s marketing campaign for the new Beetle. They went all out and people responded in kind by downloading the app and getting rewarded with an AR treat that goes well beyond what the user was expecting. This sort of visual and tactile marketing to people through the use of their mobile devices creates a much more lasting connection to the brands that they engage with, the viewer isn’t being forced to look at advertising because it’s rammed in their face, they actively engage with it and initiate the conversation.
With brands jumping into the augmented world left and right, developments such as Googles rumored release of a pair of AR glasses has us all on the edge of our seats. What infinite possibilities await us when the entire world can be augmented without constraint? Will brands and Marketing campaigns respect the same user initiated paradigm when they can broadcast advertisements onto any surface or space? Will we be able to “un-augment” our world at will? I guess we’ll just have to find out.
