Augmented Reality (AR) has been gaining more notoriety within marketing circles. We have seen many examples launched on the web, however the really clever uses of Augmented Reality are few and far between. The AR projects out there require a printed symbol and camera, so this tends to make the user experience cumbersome at best. The proliferation of camera phones expands AR’s reach to mobile devices as well, so is Augmented Reality just the latest trend and what is it good for?
From a marketing perspective, the printed symbol requirement makes an excellent tie in for a printed campaign. This is not a recommendation to create a print piece for the sole use of Augmented Reality, but in the days of the ubiquitous URL on all printed material why not use that very same printed advertisement to add to the digital experience. A good concept still drives good creative, but why not use all the tools we have available to add a little flavor. I wouldn’t recommend biting into a clove of garlic, but add it to spaghetti sauce and it definitely makes things taste better. The same concept can be applied to the immense appetite of our consumer minds.
People don’t buy iPhones to talk on the phone. They buy them because they are cool. Augmented Reality is the tool that can help us bring a little cool back into the creative and therefore the product. Kelloggs, Doritos, and LEGO have already leveraged their packaging to integrate Augmented Reality in order to enhance their customer’s digital experience. This increases brand exposure and cross promotion, because we all know that someone who has purchased the product is more likely to purchase another offering of the same brand. Augmented Reality has become a digital solution to brand loyalty.
With all of that being said I find myself still wanting more. Being a geek at heart, I naturally want to see how far we can push Augmented Reality. So far I have seen a lot of 3D models on top of pieces of paper. It’s hard to believe that this is the only thing Augmented Reality can do. After doing a little soul and Google searching I found some of the WiiRemote projects from Johnny Chung Lee then I stumbled upon a video of Jeff Han speaking at the TED conference. The message was clear. There is no need for the mouse and keyboard anymore. Without a doubt the future of our digital experience will be gestural navigation. That means using our fingers on a touch screen will be the status quo. The ravenous adoption of the iPhone and its gestural navigation was the ultimate proof of concept for this prediction. It’s not really a prediction…its already here. The good news is that Augmented Reality is our transition from the keyboard and mouse.
Using a webcam in our digital projects is no new trick, but with the addition of Augmented Reality and motion detection we have now discovered the potential of digital interaction without a mouse or keyboard. Don’t put your mouse and keyboard on the shelf yet, but be prepared for the new reality.
