Imagine walking down main street sporting the latest and greatest in fashion-tech sunglasses. As you pan your head around the street, the lenses digitally overlay information about each store or passerby in your field of vision. With a turn of the head the lens refreshes. Yelp reviews, Facebook profiles, movie times, tweets, the price of a latte … the detail of information is catered to your needs and habits.

Sounds like a science-fiction movie, but the technology is here and now. It is Augmented Reality, and your wireless provider has a team dedicated to its strategy and market pollination. Several apps are already available — offering travel-type data overlaid on your phone’s camera display. See Yelp’s iPhone Augmented Reality app. And geo-specific overlays are only one piece of the augmented reality pie. The resource can be used with packaging, clothing, print — you name it.

Augmented Reality (AR), as the name suggests, is the blending of virtual information and 3-D graphics with the real world. To experience it, you need a video device (like the camera on your handheld), a visual cue (a symbol marker or motion that unlocks the animation), and a connection (wifi). Bring the marker into the camera’s view and the 3-dimensional animation is triggered. The fun part is that marker can be as simple as a black and white symbol or as specialized as your product’s packaging. Lego uses AR in a store kiosk to provide a 3-D glimpse of their built models. See the video demo below.

Source: Orlando Attractions Magazine

Beyond the bells and whistles, AR has the power to offer a complete visualization of product, service, or concept. View the United State Postal Service application of AR for selecting the best shipping box. This type of functionality enables the end-user to streamline their postal tasks and eliminate confusion, saving time and money.

An AR component can be appropriate for campaigns ranging in size. Use a marker that is familiar with your audience, keep it simple, and explore the idea of bringing the AR experience beyond your site. Burger King used a dollar bill as the marker for their Dollar Menu campaign, which was implemented across web banners. See Burger King’s Dollar Menu Promotion.

The technology can connect real world experiences with the messages your campaign aims to convey. From taking a demonstration to the next level at a tradeshow to offering a unique visualization of your product online or in store, the opportunity to create an intimate and high-tech brand experience with your consumer can be found with an augmented reality solution. See how Belding Associates can help make Augmented Reality for you!