How does a German online shoe store grab some attention in the real world? Well, a virtual shoe fitting installation makes sense right? Yep, here it is, the Virtual Shoe Fitting Store from Goertz, an Augmented Reality, Microsoft Kinect powered installation that is plugged into a giant screen, then rolled out as virtual shoe stores at central stations and shopping centres across Germany.

Using 3x Microsoft Kinects, a beefy computer and giant screen, this virtual shoe fitting station is basically an Augmented Reality Shoe Store, tracking 3D versions of their entire range of online shoes to your feet, allowing you to choose your favourite brands, flip through colours, sizes and then post to Facebook for feedback before buying on your mobile via a dynamic QR code that is displayed on screen.

I love the way they’ve been about to create physical ‘virtual’ stores with the full product range. A solid investment, but probably still a fraction of the cost of building real stores! Very cool.

Text: Digital Buzz Blog

Ikea has added augmented reality to its 2013 catalog with new features that let consumers access films, interactive experience and photo galleries with their smartphones.

As the video above shows, Ikea has been putting out a catalog since 1951. Since then, it has evolved from a print vehicle to (last year) an iPhone, iPad and Android app. Ikea hasn’t yet released an AR app for use with the upcoming catalog, which goes out to some 211 million consumers worldwide. According to Creativity Online, one of the AR features will be “x-ray” vision that gives you a look inside the furniture.

Ikea isn’t the first to employ AR for a catalog — British retailer Tesco launched a catalog last year that let consumers access 3D images of more than 40 products via AR.

Text: Mashable

A video demonstrating the future uses of mobile augmented reality and computer vision.

If you are interested in learning more about how augmented reality and digital marketing can help your organisation or campaign you should review our free series of augmented reality guides. These guides are focus on the techniques and practicalities associated with the technology and will give you an insight on how augmented reality can be used effectively.

Augmented reality marketing strategies: the how to guide for marketers is available here http://www.hiddenltd.com/augmented-reality-marketing-how-to-guide

Text:  hiddencreative Youtube’s account

Brief Explanation:

A car calendar without cars! The calendar showed only high-quality landscape photos. In order to experience the cars, the user had to download an iPhone app. Using augmented reality, one could then bring out the cars onto the landscapes, with sounds, animations and all!

Describe the brief from the client:

The brief was to develop a calendar for Audi clients. The calendar should differ greatly from other car calendars and position Audi as innovative and modern.

Description of how you arrived at the final design:

When Audi introduces a car calendar, that calendar has to be just as innovative as the brand itself. Audi should not merely say “Vorsprung durch Technik” (Leading through technology) but prove it as well.

Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market:

25,000 calendars were sent out. So far, the app has been downloaded 23,448 times. This means that most of the people who received a copy of the calendar have downloaded the app to experience “Vorsprung durch Technik” in a new dimension. Audi received numerous response mails from enthusiastic clients. Just one person obviously didn´t get it. He wrote an e-mail saying thank you for the lovely landscapes.

In fact, in spite of car accidents happening daily, they come unnoticed by the majority. Why? Because all their consequences and traces are quickly taken care of and cleaned. So only a few passers-by and drivers can see the deformed cars, the injured and the bodies of the dead people.

Death Revealer is an iPhone app that enables one to become instantly aware of all road traffic incidents that ever happened in the city - thanks to GPS, Google Maps and augmented reality.

We believe that if you want to change people’s behavior you need to personalize your message. If you make it clear that even in places that seem so safe and peaceful, danger is only a step away, you can hope that people will start thinking about it and act differently.

text:  LeoBurnettRussia  Youtube’s account

This interactive CD package was designed for Jive Talk’s latest album ‘123 Jump!’. To enhance fans’ experience with the band, we created an online animated experience using Augmented Reality and Quick Response codes.

Fold the CD case to form the stage and scan the AR code to start the band’s “live” animated performance. Watch the animated Jive Talk members perform their title track, “123 Jump!”.

The inner booklet shows each of the four band members. Scan the QR markers, place your Smart Phone over the band members’ mouths and watch the guys sing their music! Try experimenting with the music by scanning the band members at different times to remix the song, or break the song down and listen to each member individually. 

text: ibelieveinadvertising

This year let’s bring the season to life with the Starbucks Cup Magic app. Use the app to find and scan all five Starbucks Holiday Characters - on Red Cups, Christmas Blend bags, in-store and more - and watch as they magically come to life through augmented reality on your mobile device. Who knows what holiday magic you’ll discover…

Text: StarBucks Youtube account

Merlin Mobility delivers AR-based Tech Support to Mobile Devices. This is a demo of our super cool Augmented Reality - based instructions for assembling IKEA’s POANG Chair. You can see how an individual piece can be scanned by a QR code, bar code, machine code, etc. and our instructions will show you where that particular piece fits within the configuration. The same tool can be used to ensure that a mistake has not been made as well.

Layar Vision is an extension of the Layar platform, taking augmented reality to the next level. Layar Vision allows the creation of layers and applications that recognize real world objects and display digital experiences on top of them.

Layar Vision uses detection, tracking and computer vision techniques to augment objects in the physical world. It can tell which objects in the real world are augmented because the visual fingerprints of the objects are preloaded into the application based on the user’s layer selection.

Text: Layar’s Youtube account

When Airwalk decided to do a limited edition re-launch of their classic sneaker, the Airwalk Jim, we came up with an entirely new way to do it. We made the world’s first ever Invisible Pop Up Stores. Coupling together cell phones, GPS technology, and Augmented Reality, customers could only buy the Jim if they downloaded the app, went to a pre-determined location, held up their phones, and took a photo of the AR Jim floating there. That allowed them to purchase the sneaker there and then. An exclusive product sold to an exclusive audience for an entirely new retail experience. We created an entirely new method of retail. Airwalk’s e-store had its busiest day ever. We generated $5 million of earned media in press, online and TV. We re-established Airwalk’s link with street culture, and made them relevant again.