Tag Archives: augmented reality
This is my first time at SXSW and I’ve been told that once you’re down here, you will begin to notice themes developing across the sessions, and conversations springing up from those themes. No doubt about it, there have been a couple of themes developing just within the first 48 hours of being here.
Jeana, Natalie, Jonathan, Richard and I all started to hear conversations and sessions speak to loss of serendipity as we march toward a more integrated, technological future. The more connected we all become and more technology we use day-to-day to ‘assist’ in our lives, we must remain vigilant and not lose sight of what we could potentially be giving up. Let me explain:
We’ve all had that moment where we have experienced that accidental run in with someone incredible, whether it be personal, professional, romantic, or random. This moment when we meet someone, that we’ve never even thought or anticipated, can be a joyous occasion or a terrible event. Often times, this meeting changes us in an inherent, unconscious level. A feeling of connectivity surfaces and we tend to feel closer to those around us and not so alienated from the world. Read More
Celia Jones | Critical Mass Chicago
A couple weeks ago, I was returning home from a business trip and came across this scene at a gate in the United concourse of O’Hare. I took note not only because United is a Critical Mass client, but also because of the brilliantly simple idea behind this display. 
To promote their Economy Plus offering, they placed a couple of airplane seats in the gate and invited the captive audience of travelers to sit in the seats and feel the difference for themselves. Rather than a just battery of signage touting the benefits of extra legroom (the message), passengers could test out the seats, kick back with a magazine or set up their virtual office for a half-hour of extra productivity before boarding the plane (the experience).
Beyond those stretched out in the chairs, passers-by could observe these real people, relaxed and comfortable—quite a contrast to the typical airport image of crabby passengers stuffing themselves into cramped quarters, whether at the gate or worse, on the plane. Observers could log this “warm and fuzzy” scene, tucking it away into their memories until the next time they booked a trip online and maybe, just maybe, they might chip in the extra fee for the increased comfort and productivity.
The Economy Plus seating display is a great example of how the ability to “see, touch and feel” the benefits of a product or service can actually lead someone to purchase it. The interplay between the message and the experience is a powerful combination—a “one-two” punch in terms of reaching consumers and driving them to a desired action.
Now translate that dynamic to the digital space. Digital, by its nature, invites interactivity. Touch screen technologies, devices like the iPhone and iPad, and augmented reality have added a layer of sensory sizzle to consumers’ experience of brands. Now more than ever, we can design experiences that mirror the “see, touch and feel” interaction that previously could only be achieved in person, in real-life.
Harnessing the power of this technology as a complement or wrapper to your message can be the difference between merely encouraging engagement and compelling action.
George Panopoulos | Critical Mass Chicago
I recently had a truly extraordinary retail experience when taking my son to visit the LEGO store out at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg (IL). The store layout, staff assistance, merchandising, customer-centric focus, the use of technology and overall shopping experience I had there made me stop in my tracks and recognize this was worth documenting. We say that we are in the business of creating extraordinary experiences at CM—and I strive for that every day in my work. But it is an experience like this in my personal life that helps me step back and reframe what “extraordinary” means any why we strive so hard for that bar.
It was such a blast that I decided to capture the ways that the LEGO store engaged customers, kept them in the store (for hours at a time) and pulled in foot-traffic in an otherwise gigantic and distracting 300 store mall. What better way to do that than in pictures, so you can see what I saw—and what LEGO fanatics keep coming back for.
Some of the “Extraordinary” highlights I noted during my LEGO experience were:
1. Immersive and interactive displays.
2. Ingenius targeted product development.
3. Makes buying easy.
4. Speaks to the enthusiast.
5. Utilizes technology.
Keep Going to see the extraordinary LEGO journey in each of these areas
Since Tom Caudell coined the phrase in the early 90s and the first augmented reality-related patent was filed in 1993 (by GeoVector), AR has been an up-and-coming killer technology. Nearly ten years later, augmenting reality required 26 pounds of equipment.
And now, after nearly 20 years of research and development – and with the advent of some serious mobile computing power – we can hold this bit of technical mastery in the palms of our hands. Yet, the highest-profile AR apps involve a hamster game (Kia’s “Go Hamster Go”) and a cardboard box simulator.
In addition, Mattel will soon launch a line of AR toys for Twentieth Century Fox’s movie Avatar. Each action figure will come with a “chip” that elaborates on its story when held up to a webcam, and they’ll even “come alive” and interact with each other onscreen.
Seriously?
I’m a creative in the marketing biz, so it’s a given that I’m a fan of fun experiences (and creating them for others). In my opinion, however, one of the best uses of augmented reality thus far lies in the first-down lines during televised NFL games. Yeah, I know – “yawn” – but let’s put it this way: it satisfies a true need.
Everyone from a casual spectator to an edge-of-the-couch diehard now has a better understanding of their favorite team’s place in their offensive drive.
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