This game-changing AR technology is the future of location-based experience
Media Ridha, Head of Digital at UNIT9, explains why.
When augmented reality first hit the scene in the 2010s, it was often disregarded as ‘just a gimmick’. Fast forward to 2023 and it’s safe to say the technology has proven its worth. With new world-mapping and tracking tools such as Google’s Geospatial API and Niantic’s Lightship VPS, we’re now able to pinpoint a user’s location pretty much anywhere in the world using map data and anchor persistent digital content to their physical environment, whether that’s a horizontal surface or a vertical structure. This is a game-changer for brands looking to seamlessly blend realities and create localised experiences at a global scale.
This summer’s release of SPACE INVADERS: World Defense — a mobile AR version of the arcade classic powered by Google’s ARCore and Geospatial API — effectively turned the world around us into a digital playground. Fans are able to battle SPACE INVADERS in the real world, with AR content mapped to specific buildings, streets and landmarks in a way that’s never been possible before. Unlike previous AR games like Pokemon Go, the invader characters have contextual integration with their surroundings — meaning they can emerge from behind buildings and interact with structures instead of simply floating in the air or on a flat surface. Local neighbourhoods just became personalised canvases for digital play.
But it’s not just world-scale gaming that stands to benefit from this cutting-edge tech — this is a big deal for any brand experience tied to a geographic location.
Other forms of entertainment — like live performance or events — also have huge potential. Last year, digital band Gorillaz launched AR concerts in New York and London powered by Google, with the action brought to life via the audience’s smartphone screens. But what made these first-of-their-kind activations especially cool was the fact that the surroundings played a vital role — the iconic Piccadilly Lights were taken over with digital Gorillaz content, and band members perched and performed on nearby buildings to turn the whole area into their stage. Other live outdoor events such as festivals and sports tournaments would be perfect for a similar approach — imagine a city’s Olympic Park coming to life with a virtual opening ceremony and digital athletes for fans to meet as they explore.
As well as elevating entertainment, there’s also huge potential for world-scale experiences that use the power of AR to actually enhance a physical setting and incentivise engagement. Bricks and mortar retail is a clear example, with the ability to digitally expand a store’s physical footprint into its locale and launch new products with impact. In true Barbiecore fashion, Gap and Mattel recently teamed up on an AR takeover of Times Square to celebrate the launch of their collaborative clothing line. Using Google’s Geospatial creator in Adobe Aero, the brands were able to make their mark, with Barbie characters and neon signs taking over nearby billboards and buildings to draw attention to Gap’s New York flagship.
Citywide takeovers and cultural storytelling are also prime applications for this technology — as shown by Global Street Art’s incredible collaboration with artists Camille Walala, Edgar Saner and Tristan Eaton, which saw physical street murals in London, Mexico City and LA brought to life in augmented reality. And with new tools such as 8th Wall’s World Tracking and Sky Effects allowing us to augment sky and surface together in the same experience, we can now max out the user’s field of view and enhance their physical world wherever they turn.
There’s also a key challenge that can be solved through world-scale AR: wayfinding. With the new technology allowing us to anchor content in specific locations, there’s an amazing opportunity for brands to assist with destination-based navigation and help users explore new and unfamiliar areas. The Singapore Tourism Board is already testing the waters with this approach, launching an immersive guided tour around key sights in the city. Adding a scavenger hunt element could elevate this type of wayfinding experience even further, allowing audiences to unlock location-specific prizes the more they explore — playful destinations such as theme parks, or historic landmarks with immersive learning opportunities seem like obvious candidates that could benefit from this.
New world-scale AR technology is allowing us to create persistent digital content anchored to individual surroundings with incredible accuracy — and it’s time for brands to make use of its full potential. This is the future of real-world, location-specific AR activations with true global reach.
— Media Ridha, Head of Digital, UNIT9
Originally published at https://creativepool.com.
