Seemingly building a reputation within brainstorms for throwing out the term ‘Augmented Reality’ (AR) without much back up, I started to question if I fully understood the capabilities of this increasingly fashionable term.

Defined by Wikipedia as ‘a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are augmented by virtual computer-generated imagery’ I realised I was not really any the wiser.

Having experienced examples using a ‘magic symbol’ where one can hold up a piece of card in front of a webcam and before you know it, a space rocket is taking off in the palm of your hand;  JLS appear with an exclusive performance; or even a fashion show of models appear on the table before your very eyes (all on-screen, yet seemingly in front of you).

All a bit of fun plus added wow factor (as long as you have a webcam), however as I researched further, I found some interesting ways AR is increasingly becoming part of brand activity.

Hugo Boss livened up their Christmas window displays with a sales promotion through an interactive game to drive people in store.

Fashionista use AR to allow customers to ‘virtually try on clothes’.

A really fun example is by Yahoo, which was simple and engaging, and was installed during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.  Through motion detection, passersby appeared on screen to be dressed in various accessories from hats and scarves, to sunglasses or rain hats.

AR is clearly developing fast. As a late adopter in many forms of technology I don’t own an iPhone – yet – however am curious around the AR capabilities it offers.  iPhone users can download various applications that use the phone’s camera and GPS capabilities to gather information about the surrounding area. Then information about pretty much anything programmed such as restaurants or bars, overlay on the phone’s screen. In the Netherlands you can even point the phone at a building, and the Layar application will tell you if any companies in that building are hiring, or it might be able to find photos of the building on Flickr or to locate its history on Wikipedia.

It is thought that soon we will be walking or driving down the street with augmented reality displays, which will be viewed through what, looks much like a normal pair of glasses, with informative graphics appearing in our field of view, and audio will coincide with whatever we see. These enhancements will be refreshed continually to reflect the movements of your head.

I continue to be intrigued by the merging of the physical and virtual world, and look forward to seeing how far this can go…and to buying myself an iPhone!

By Samantha Pillage on August 9th, 2010

Tags: Brand marketing, Branded content, Communications, Experiential marketing, Olympics, Vancouver 2010, YouTube

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Last weekend saw a new city play host to the travelling spectacle that is Formula 1.  Singapore, not only hosted a tremendous show, yet took on the task of staging a street race after dark! 

With over 15,000 lighting projectors making the track four times brighter than a sports stadium, DigiFlags replacing the traditional coloured warning lights and an anticlockwise route on a street circuit, this race was certainly going to make its mark in the history books and create a truly exciting event for the teams, and more importantly the fans.

The reality of a night race came with its challenges, especially on the likes of Hamilton, Massa and the other drivers, whose preparation required them to remain on European time rather than acclimatising to local time, and resulted in a rather unusual timetable of breakfast at 2pm, supper at 1am and bedtime at 3am.  Windows were blacked out, phones disconnected and cleaners banished from normal operations – all in the name of gaining that competitive advantage and ensuring the drivers would be at their most alert when they were on-track each evening.

Visually impressive, the Singapore circuit presented an incident-packed race, without any of the original fears of thunderstorms appearing, whilst the bumps and cambers of the street circuit tested the skill of the drivers. 

“It was a wonderful Grand Prix and a huge credit to the people of Singapore. I can’t remember a more spectacular event with the vivid colours of the cars and the track, and an enormous crowd. Plus there was a really good race as well.” RBS Ambassador Sir Jackie Stewart

A much more open race than the likes of Monaco, allowed a new face to appear on the podium this season – AT&T Williams Driver Nico Rosberg who took a well deserved second place, even after a 10 second stop and go penalty – a refreshing outcome to the 15^th race of the season.

Congratulations go to F1 and to Singapore for a refreshing and exciting weekend’s sport! Can the world of F1 continue to improve and revive the fan experience? With the addition of a fifth street race in Abu Dhabi in 2009, let’s hope they can continue to enthuse and excite the audience.

By Samantha Pillage on September 30th, 2008

Tags: Formula 1, Sponsorship

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Last weekend 49,000 people descended on Regent’s Park for what has become the capital’s favourite destination for food lovers, Taste of London.

Officially opened by Boris Johnson, the London crowd was drawn to an event offering bite sized dining experiences from some of the capitals’ most luxurious restaurants. However despite the expensive and discerning taste buds on show, it soon became clear when it comes down to it, many a cool Londoner has a strong appetite for a freebie.

Across the four days, visitors sampled delicacies from around the world whilst exhibitors ranging from Sainsbury’s to Fortnum & Mason made it their mission to give out anything from sample products to random free gifts. The mob handed approach to distributing meant that cutting through all the noise was going to be interesting.

British Airways, presenting partner of Taste of London, and a few smart heads at Synergy took a step back and asked – what do their guests really want when they visit Taste? A welcome glass of champagne, extra crowns (the event currency) to buy more treats or even dinner for two at one of restaurants..….. perfect!

To give this away British Airways used a simple scratch card mechanic so visitors could win instantly and upgrade their overall experience.

Giving relevant prizes in a simple and effective way enabled British Airways to interact with their core target audience with their key message – “Upgrade to British Airways“. Consumers face a barrage of communications at events like Taste, so the key to standing out is to be relevant to the experience, be relevant to the brand and of course keep it simple.

By Samantha Pillage on June 27th, 2008

Tags: Branded content, Experiential marketing

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