Dear AT&T, Whatever You’re Doing AT SXSW, Do It In San Francisco (I bash AT&T all the time and to give credit where credit is due…SXSW was near flawless…dream was shattered however when I arrived into DC yesterday…wtf is with this network already!)
NPR and WSJ Building iPad-Only Websites (Great…we’re back in 1999 again but now with 5X as many platforms to develop for…can’t we all get along?)
MyBrandz: Finally, You Can Find People Who Love Nike, Apple, And Ferrari As Much As You Do (Maybe it’s just me…but I’m not the type of person that’s going to connect to other people for love of a brand…)
Facebook Goes To The Red Carpet With Live Video For American Music Awards – Noticing a trend yet with Live Video broadcasts with integrated real-time commenting (i.e. Social TV)?
Since Augmented Reality (AR) is pretty much everywhere right now, I thought it might be time to point out some actual ‘useful’ AR that falls under the Utility category. Brand awareness and word of mouth has it’s place for AR, but Utility is where AR will make it’s greatest impact. Utility-based AR is in a very unique position where (if used properly) it can drive innovative and sustained engagement between a brand and a consumer.
The following list is by no means all inclusive, but these are a few examples of Utility-Based AR currently out there. Not just a video or concept, but a working example you can use right now. I also often cite these examples when asked how AR can rise above the current gimmicks being used in the marketing and advertising worlds…
This execution is quite simple. Print out the marker, tape it to your wall and see how the Samsung TV will measure out for placement on that same wall.
This application uses AR to overlay images of clothing on an individual to enhance the online shopping experience. Motion capture also adds ability to stand from computer and navigate controls. (Disclosure: Zugara created this application…)
Not an example of AR you would initially think of but brilliant once you understand how it works. This mobile AR app allows you to see how the sun is positioned at any time during any day of the year. This then shows you how sunlight would fall into your bedroom (for new home shoppers), where to plant a garden, etc.
HONORABLE MENTION
LEGO
Though this is technically not utility-based it’s still very effective and great use of AR at retail. How can any father resist purchasing this for their child after seeing the Lego’s build out?
Those are my top 5. If you have any others, add them in the comments and we’ll post them on the site (if they’re actually utility-based or you can make a strong enough argument for it
We Are Organized Chaos (WAOC) is Zugara’s (www.zugara.com) interactive marketing and advertising blog where we’ll be featuring some great projects and discussing upcoming trends in the digital world. Work — good and bad — will be critiqued. Hope you’ll enjoy reading our insights and thoughts on interactive.
