Introduction to Augmented Reality Marketing
Pepsi recently took its use of augmented reality to the following level in a campaign that surprised and even scared consumers, while revealing how tight integration between message and technology is essential for fulfillment. The campaign, called "Unbelievable," encouraged consumers to submit videos of something unbelievable using the hashtag #LiveForNow.
The Bus Shelter Effort
The bus shelter effort was a part of a much bigger campaign for Pepsi Max. A video on YouTube revealing consumers’ reactions to the augmented reality bus shelter has been viewed greater than 4 million times. According to Stephen van Elst, executive creative director at Spinifex Group, Los Angeles, "This is a fantastic use of augmented reality to deliver a live experience, it’s communicating a message – the concept of ‘unbelievable.’"
Key to Success
In terms of brand name constructing, augmented reality being a tool to construct a brand is a more complex query, but this is unquestionably a superb use of appropriate technology to deliver clearly on a message. Marketers should consider AR as a tool to inform a story, bearing in mind the technology and its potential, in addition to its limitations. It should not be used just because it is a ‘technology of the moment’, it needs to raise the delivery of the message greater than some other technology can.
Previous Augmented Reality Efforts
The soft drink marketer’s previous augmented reality efforts have been fairly straightforward, equivalent to bringing a can of soda to life on a consumer’s smartphone screen. However, in its latest foray, the corporate leveraged the technology so as to add some thrills to commuting by making it look as if aliens were attacking a bus shelter.
The Campaign
The campaign for Pepsi Max ran recently in a bus shelter in London, turning one in all the shelter’s partitions right into a fake window that appeared to indicate a variety of different unlikely scenarios happening on the road behind, equivalent to alien craft descending, a robot attacking and a tiger running loose. A camera is placed on the external face of the window, capturing what is definitely happening on the road and live streaming it on the interior side. As a result, anyone contained in the shelter sees alien craft or an attacking robot superimposed on top of what is definitely happening on the road.
Reactions and Results
The brand also caught consumers’ reactions, with some initially looking startled, and posted these to YouTube and Facebook. According to Mr. van Elst, "What people may not understand is that it seems this was set as much as create, primarily, a chunk of shareable content. It operated live like a ‘candid camera moment,’ but it surely’s also all about delivering those human reactions in addition to the content itself back to viewers, with greater than 4 million hits this did rather well."
Brand Awareness and Augmented Reality
While a growing variety of marketers have been experimenting with augmented reality, in lots of cases these efforts have been limited to extending the brand into the digital realm in ways in which will not be all that exciting or creative. The Pepsi campaign is notable for its creative use of augmented reality to vary consumers’ perception of what is occurring around them. When the technology and message are tightly integrated as in the instance of Pepsi, it could help a brand drive awareness.
Frictionless Engagement
The campaign also addresses one in all the complaints with augmented reality by eliminating the necessity for users to download an app to interact with content. With the trouble gaining a lot attention and such a robust response from consumers who participate, Pepsi could have enhanced the trouble by leveraging mobile for a more direct brand engagement. According to Beck Besecker, CEO of Marxent Labs, Kettering, OH, "Marxent is leaning towards creating promoting experiences that provide multiple touches and use AR to facilitate direct engagement over time."
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Pepsi campaign is a fantastic example of how technologies like augmented reality offer a highly memorable and charming experience. As Annie Weinberger, general manager of Aurasma at HP Autonomy, San Francisco, said, "No one who was on the bus stop that day will forget that any time soon. Augmented reality – whether mobile or stationary like this instance – helps brands cut through the noise to deliver a memorable experience."
