QR outta here!

QR codes – ugly little things that offer little value to anyone.  Don’t get me wrong, when they first came out I was running around the streets, Google Goggling for hours until my phone or I ran out of juice.  I was positively elated by the fact I could scan a cigarette bin and find a taxi number for the closest firm. Oh, the mysteries those pixelated little scoundrels held.  Except, they actually didn’t.  Much like Mean Girls 2 – so much potential, but so poorly executed.

QR codes are bit a like web 1.0 – static, dull and ugly.  Augmented reality, on the other hand, offers all the bells and whistles of the New World, with interactivity, dynamic content and real time engagement with brands – heaven!

So, in the fickle spirit of social media – I’ve found the next big thing!  Dim the lights, drum roll – hello Layar Creator!

Layar isn’t new, but it’s sexy. It’s an augmented reality (AR) platform that allows brands to create apps that overlay data onto the real world.  I’ve been fortunate to work on one with my client, hotel portal, HRS.  Their Hotels Now! app shows users through their smartphone screen where the nearest hotels are in the real world, by simply holding their phone’s camera up to the street.

Traditionally AR has been very expensive to create – but not anymore – and that’s why I love Layar Creator.  This isn’t going to turn into a sales piece, but it takes AR and puts it directly into the hands of savvy marketers – no coding, no development, just easy access to making engaging content.

Consumers always want more, and AR is an easy way to develop experiences that transcend both the real and digital worlds.  Soon all newspapers will be like the Daily Prophet (don’t ask if you don’t know), with live video commentary and pictures that spring to life.  Print may be dying, but AR has the chance to make it a pretty awesome zombie.

From brochures to pamphlets, Layar Creator allows brands to develop a much more engaging customer experience; to lure them in and communicate much more than a static page.  This is the first time AR technology has been available on the mainstream, and yes, it may still be a little before its time, but no doubt we’ll see great examples of brands using this technology in the near future.

Originally for PepperDigital