Augmented Reality, adding a new dimension to reality

Marvel comics include AR to add to the readers experience

Closer home, we have seen many advertisers making use of QR codes to provide a virtual connection. However, Outlook became the first Indian magazine to successfully make use of augmented reality with its August 2012 issue. It partnered with TELiBrahma and used its intARact app to provide readers with a taste of augmented reality. It allowed readers to take part in online poll based on a special story and provided them with additional information. However, we cannot quite forget the National Geographic's AR installations at malls in Hungary last year, where it brought to life everything from dinosaurs to dolphins and allowed people to experience walking on the moon.   

Shopping around
Already there are quite a few apps that allow you to scan the barcodes of products in stores to get more information. However, augmented reality can add a whole new layer to shopping. You can try out things to see how they suit you, get instant comments from others, compare prices and much more. IBM recently introduced a prototype of an augmented reality app aimed at retailers, which will allow them to provide information to their customers as well as gather information about customers' preferences. A number of international brands have been making use of augmented reality to entice customers. Some of them are in-store, while some allow shoppers to try things virtually from the comfort of their homes.

Quite innovative and useful, Tesco's AR installations to shop while on the go

In June this year, an augmented reality installation at train stations in Germany allowed commuters to virtually try on shoes. They could walk around in them, share pictures online to get opinions from friends and use the QR code to make a purchase online if they wanted. It was done by German footwear e-commerce site Goertz and was achieved by making use of a Microsoft Kinect kit. A similar use of Microsoft Kinect was seen in Moscow, where fashion retailer Topshop allowed shoppers in its stores to virtually try out garments. Another interesting use of augmented reality came in the form of a fashion hunt organised earlier this year by online fashion site Mr Porter, to celebrate its first anniversary. Those interested were asked to download the AR app Goldrun, which guided shoppers to various locations in the city, where they had to watch out for virtual Mr Porter shopping bags. The bags contained giveaways from high fashion brands, right from apparel to shoes and other accessories.

On the other hand, offline augmented reality instances include the use of AR apps that allow users to get more information about the products featured in printed catalogues. Mr Porter, Ikea (a Swedish furniture brand) and Tesco (a British supermarket) feature amongst those who have added AR to their catalogues. Tesco has also installed virtual shops at airports, train stations and other prominent locations, which allow people to shop and make purchases using their smartphones. In India, Shoppers Stop became the first retailer to dabble with AR earlier this year during its annual sale when it urged customers to download an app named Shoppers Stop Secrets. This app took them to the web store, provided information about secret offers and allowed them to make purchases too. Other offline initiatives of AR include shopping sites that allow you to try things on, be they garments or jewellery or even cosmetics, before making the buying decision. All you need is a webcam and you can then try out stuff from the site. A number of luxury brands currently provide this facility.

Mr Porter's treasure hunt that made use of AR was quite popular

Advertising
Marketers were quick to realise the potential of AR, as it allowed them to engage with consumers digitally in the real world. Creative heads at advertising agencies around the world have come up with some brilliant ad campaigns for brands that leverage augmented reality. Nike spiced things up when it created an AR game. It hired 50 people to run around Vienna and their movements were tracked via GPS devices attached to their jackets. It then urged people to download an app to track the runners and their job was to take pictures of as many runners as they could. The person who managed to take the most pictures was the winner. Starbucks, the popular US coffee chain, which has always been at the forefront when adopting new technology, used AR to allow its customers to animate its coffee mug.

Hyundai took AR a step further as it suspended an actual car on the building facade

Axe, the body-spray brand, used AR that allowed people to pose with the angels featured in its ad campaigns. It put a signage on the floor at London’s Victoria train station that urged commuters to look up at a video screen. There they could see an image of themselves along with the angels. Needless to say, this created quite a buzz and the video is worth watching for the antics of some of the commuters. But what takes the cake is the use of augmented reality for promotion, as was demonstrated by Hyundai in April 2011. To promote its new Accent sedan, it took the AR route, but with a difference. Instead of just projecting an image of the car, it actually had a car suspended on the facade of a building and demonstrated its capabilities as it made its way through a changing computer-generated cityscape. What’s more, it also had a driver walking down the wall and taking the wheel. Besides these, it’s fairly common to find AR being used by advertisers to enliven their print ads.

Do let us know if there are any other instances of augmented reality usage that we have missed out on.

Main Image Credit: Getty Images