Augmented Reality & Retail Convergence
Posted on Monday, August 3rd, 2009
image courtesy of Geekologie blog.
Digital is making its way into the retail space. New tools have made it to the mainstream and are changing the way we shop. One such tool is Augmented Reality. For those who don’t know, augmented reality often referred to as AR, is the combination of real-world (live) and computer-generated data, where computer graphics objects are blended into real footage in real time.
So how does AR work? In its base form, you present your webcam with a high contrast marker. This marker is either printed from your computer or on a product itself (examples to follow).
You may have heard AR, but in retail? Most executions of augmented reality in general have been little more than, “Wow, that’s cool.” Retailers and brand giants like Walmart® and Procter & Gamble are taking notice and even flirting with the technology.
Walmart ran a print ad in People Magazine promoting their back-to-college your zone collection with an augmented reality twist. Their print ad encourages you to visit a website and see your room in AR. The room changes from various styles available at Walmart. Mainly an eye catching advertisement, but it does highlight the variety of styles available at Walmart for your college room necessities.
Procter & Gamble recently rolled out a similar campaign based in print. Highlighting the “magic” of AR technology, the print execution was developed for their Always tampon brand. The execution was targeted at 15 year-old girls and little more than a magic show. The teenage girl prints a marker from the website, featured in the print ad, and also installs a web plug-in. Then she is greeted with a top hat and a bunny rabbit, accompanied by the messaging “incredibly soft,” a feature of Always products.
However, some brands are taking this new tool and creating wonderful enhancements for their products and giving their consumers that same “wow” presence.
The USPS has a wonderful execution to help patrons choose the right box for their shipments. Accurately named, “Which box fits your shipment?” this dramatically simple execution helps you choose the correct size box for your shipment while saving you time. Instead of waiting at the post office with a line of angry patrons behind you; you are able to test it out in the comfort of your own home. This tool gives you a better idea of the cost to mail your item.
The USPS creates some great buzz for their brand by breathing life into what is generally a mundane experience (mailing packages). Through this interaction the customer not only gets the information they need, they might even come away with a pleasant feeling for their national postal service. Amazing, I know.
Want to learn more about Augmented Reality and see more examples in the retail space? Stay tuned here. New posts coming as more brands venture into this media along with an AR section of the website for easy access to Augmented Reality executions.
UPDATE:
The Procter & Gamble Always campaign is based on the idea that the product, “Works Like Magic.” This FSI (featured below) in the P&G BrandSaver which appeared in newspapers over the weekend adds some evidence to why magic and AR was used with the campaign.
