Catching Dragibus Candies in AR with Haribo’s “Manjouez!” multiplatform game

Haribo launched a new campaign for its “Dragibus” candy brand in April. The name of this campaign is “Manjouez!”, which could translate into “eat and play!”. Several versions of the AR game “Manjouez!” have been released: Dragibus eaters can try to catch their favourite treats online on the main website or on Facebook or they can download the app on the Android Market or on the AppStore.

The online version developed by Total Immersion and Innovae Vision uses movement detection and tracking: players catch candies with their hand and put them in a bag to score. The challenge will be online until the end of August.

Total Immersion’s partner C4M developped the smartphone version. The game is truly immersive as the player has the sensation to have candies flying all around him.  The Smartphone version is available for the French territory only.

Cartoon Network Takes Augmented Reality with Generator Rex App Across Asia

Cartoon Network is giving kids an unprecedented chance to check if their bodies are hosting nanites – microscopic machines – via a new augmented reality (AR) application created for its awesome new series, Generator Rex.

For the first time ever kids can participate and test themselves for nanites – which in the series have invaded every living being – in two exciting ways. Either log on to the Cartoon Network website or through the Cartoon Network Facebook page to start the scan. Either way, kids can then load the resulting videos on to YouTube or Facebook to share with their friends.

Developed by the world’s pioneer in augmented reality, Total Immersion, the animation used in the AR application is cutting-edge: allowing the user to move close up and away from the computer screen and providing unprecedented 360° views.

Lucien Harrington, Vice-President, Branding & Communications, Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc. said, “The Generator Rex augmented reality application sets a new standard in how kids can actually become part of the stories and adventures that define Cartoon Network. We are always looking to innovate and find ways that can animate kids’ lives and this ground-breaking initiative delivers on that promise.”

The augmented reality application is available through Cartoon Network’s online destinations in two levels.

“Generator Rex’s web activation has taken the traditional online experience and made it even more exciting. This is great news for kids, fans and collectors of the Cartoon Network property who can now get to see, interact with, and even record movies with, their favorite heroes,” said Philippe de Passorio from Total Immersion.

In Asia Pacific the application is available online now, and is planned to further extend on mobile and on-the-ground over the coming months, to allow viewers the opportunity to experience the technology first hand.

Augmented reality is the term for a camera-enhanced view of a physical real-world environment, where virtual elements are merged with the real-life scene, creating a mixed reality of virtual elements and the real world. Users of Cartoon Network’s application will need a computer, webcam and speakers.

For more exciting Generator Rex adventures, visit CartoonNetworkAsia.com and don’t forget to catch the show, weeknights at 6:30pm!

Zoo&Co’s Augmented Reality Online Mirror for Swimsuits is Magic

Users Anywhere Can Try on Hundreds of Bathing Suits in Less Than Five Minutes with AR Virtual Fitting Room.

Shoppers are loving the world’s first online 3D fitting room at Zoo&Co.  The web-based shopping experience lets users try on bathing suits in the comfort of their own home, with just a webcam.

The online fitting room lets users see themselves in bathing suits online without the need to remove their clothes.  A process called Augmented Reality lets users stand in front of their webcam and see themselves on the screen with a bathing suit projected onto their body.

The software was created by Imagine That using Total Immersion’s Augmented Reality engine. “This is game-changing technology that allows the online shopper to be part of the online shopping experience in whole new way,” said Debra Fraser, Imagine That CEO. Marine De Niger, of Paris-based Zoo&Co, said, “We are very excited about the fitting room’s social media integration that allows our online customers to visit our site to try on bathing suits and shop with their friends using Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.”

“Forward-thinking companies like Zoo&Co are taking advantage of Augmented Reality as a tool that can be used to drive sales, providing customers with an engaging and personal shopping experience in their own home,” said John Leahy, Imagine That president.  Imagine That is rolling out the online fitting room products to retailers in North America this summer.

Built on Total Immersion’s patented D’Fusion® platform Imagine That’s Your Fitting Room provides its clients with a wide array of reporting and analytics that provide details about what products visitors try on and how much time they spend with each garment.

Your Fitting Room lets online shoppers, who have a web cam and an Internet connection, see the clothing on themselves.  It builds confidence with the consumer in purchase decisions, it increases online sales conversion, with “high-touch” products that traditionally require tactile, experiential cues in order for the consumer to be comfortable with the purchase decision. “Marketing today is less about promising benefits, it delivers them.  This is correlative with the difference in saying you are funny versus just being funny.  Imagine That’s 3D Fitting Room does just that – it provides an evocative, sensory experience where the consumer is entirely immersed in the brand on their own terms.” said Greg Davis, General Manager, Total Immersion.

About Imagine That Imagine That develops solutions for retailers and fashion designers that enhance customer experiences and drive sales online and in-store. Their state-of-the-art Augmented Reality Virtual Fitting Room is the first of its kind in the world and provides a sophisticated experience for online shoppers allowing them to see themselves in a 360-degree view of garments and other clothing.

Media Contact:
John Leahy, 902-830-2032 jleahy@imaginethattechnologies.com
Debra Fraser, 902-499-7972 dfraser@imaginethattechnologies.com  

About Zoo&Co Zoo&Co is a Paris-based company with a brand of beach wear that has international character, thought and is realized by a Parisian stylist team united by the same desire. Their collections are produced with one goal, emphasize the body of a woman by making them look elegant and glamorous. Their collection offers customers numerous choices of cuts and colors. They also provide a number of exclusive ways to personalize the shopping experience.  

About Total Immersion Total Immersion is the global leader in Augmented Reality. Through its patented D’Fusion® technology, Total Immersion blurs the line between the virtual world and the real world by integrating real time interactive 3D graphics into a live video stream. Leading the Augmented Reality category since 1999, the company maintains offices in Europe (France and UK), Asia and North America. Total Immersion supports the world’s largest AR Partner network, with a diversified portfolio of best-of-breed solutions providers worldwide. .

Lolita Lempicka Premier Parfum Augmented Reality Experience

Experience on www.MorsuredAmour.com latest Lolita Lempicka Augmented Reality Experience.

When Lolita Lempicka’s creative univers meets enchanted nature of Premier Parfum, it will surprise you!

Volvo Pioneered the First Ever YouTube Masthead with an Augmented Reality Experience

On Saturday, March 12, Volvo Cars of North America (VCNA) offered for one day only an Augmented Reality (AR) S60 driving experience iPhone and Android app that activates when visiting YouTube.

This campaign, created by Euro RSCG New York, marks the first YouTube masthead ever created with an AR experience of any kind. It is also the first AR game accessible through a mobile app in conjunction with a YouTube masthead.

AR allows Volvo to overlay digital information on top of the traditional YouTube masthead to provide the user with more information and a richer experience, in this case, an exclusive Volvo S60 driving game. While users without the app will see a traditional Volvo masthead on the YouTube homepage, users who downloaded the app will be able to race a Volvo S60 through their phone on the YouTube page, experiencing a whole new Volvo world.

“This ground-breaking initiative is significant to the Volvo brand as it allows us to engage with consumers in a fun and interesting way and continues to position us as a true leader in the digital space,” said Linda Gangeri, National Advertising Manager, Volvo Cars of North America. “By creating a driving game, we’re focusing on the newest and most exciting addition to the Volvo lineup, our new sports sedan, the Volvo S60. This car showcases our new design DNA, our exciting driving dynamics, and our legendary Volvo safety.”

Volvo’s digital and media agencies of record, Euro RSCG New York and Media Contacts are responsible for the development and placement of this campaign, respectively.

“This effort is further proof of Volvo’s commitment to innovation in the digital channels,” said Jeff Brooks, CEO of Euro RSCG New York. “We’re very fortunate to have a client like Volvo who is constantly experimenting with new ways to enhance brand and consumer interactions.”

CNET Article shares some metrics about this campaign :

Volvo campaign by the numbers:
– 61 million impressions on homepage takeover on YouTube on March 12. Google promised 47 million.
– 192,319 clicks on the masthead banner ad
– Interactive banner ad had a 9.6 percent interaction rate. Industry standard is 2.1 percent interaction rate
– Site traffic was up 293 percent.

Blog Review : Contagious Magazine presents Total Immersion Success Stories

Contagious Magazine presents in its last issue a company focus dedicated to Total Immersion and best case studies. Read complete article on Contagious Magazine.

Total Immersion / The AR bandwagon is currently heaving, but can you really blame those who have chosen not to jump on but rather to wai and se e which brave and rich new territories it rolls into? Leading the convoy by example is software specialis Total Immersion / By Will Sansom /

Let’s start with a stat, shall we? It is estimated that by 2012, between 150 and 200 million people worldwide will be using Augmented Reality (AR) applications on mobile devices, compared to just 600,000 in 2010 (Perey Research & Consulting, Montreux). As potentially mind-boggling as this
prediction is, there is no doubt that its validity will polarise opinion in much the same way as AR technology itself has so far – particularly in the world of
digital marketing where innovation and cold, hard ROI can at times seem unlikely bedfellow.

 
Indeed, since it first burst forth from our screens in all its angular 3D glory a few years ago, AR has resulted in some of the most ground-breaking and yet simultaneously fruitless digital marketing campaigns to have crossed Contagious’ radar. Too many, unfortunately, seem to have had AR elements bolted on for sheer novelty rather than for any tangible consumer benefit. James Hilton is co-founder and chief creative officer of global interactive agency, AKQA – itself responsible for some of the more productive applications of AR in marketing. He remains, however, cautious about how and where it should be used.

 
‘There’s always a danger of doing something stupid. Mum always said “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” Although it’s fair to point out her wisdom wasn’t referring to AR, but to my potential premature career as a 15-year-old father. Luckily, back then, I listened. And so, as unwitting adolescents lurch from one ill-conceived (or un-conceived) idea to the next, so too do marketers. At least those who never listened to their mums do. Because whilst something is new and full of possibilities, it doesn’t necessarily follow that you should go anywhere near it. Until, that is, it’s a natural thing to do. The point is a great idea will find a relevant home without too much effort. Idea first, application second. Am I concerned there aren’t that many great applications for AR yet? Not at all, it’s just another answer waiting for the right question.

 
The increase in smartphone and tablet penetration is one reason to have faith in the growth of AR; UK-based Juniper Research has predicted that the number of ARcapable smartphones in the global market will more than double, from 91 million in 2010 to over 197 million in 2012. Furthermore, according to research performed by Gartner, by 2014 30% of mobile subscribers with data plans in mature markets will use AR at least once a
week. The reason for this will be the reduction in friction afforded by such devices, with users no longer tied to a desktop PC but plugged into the web via a series of more targeted, location-based applications. For brands and marketers, however, the challenge will ultimately remain the same – albeit with bigger audiences and higher stakes: how to use AR to meaningfully affect the user-experience in a way which is useful, relevant or entertaining.

 

D’Fusion line
There are, of course, examples which have defied even the most cynical amongst us (Topp’s AR baseball cards which brought each player to life in your hands being a particular Contagious favourite) and of these, a surprising number can be credited to software company Total Immersion – widely acknowledged as a world leader in AR solutions.

 
Founded in Paris in 1999, Total Immersion was the brainchild of Bruno Uzzan, formerly an auditing consultant at Pierre Henri Scacchi & Associates (Price Waterhouse Group), and defence software engineer Valentin Lefevre. It was Uzzan’s business vision combined with Lefevre’s applied knowledge of digital imaging which provided an appealing prospect for investors, as Total Immersion secured venture rounds in 2001 and again in 2006. Today, the company employs 70 staff across offices in Paris, Los Angeles, London
and Hong Kong. As a privately-owned business, Total Immersion does not publish any financial results; however, what they did reveal to Contagious was that revenue had increased by 34% from 2009 to 2010.

 
This rapid growth is also evident in the total number of projects undertaken: in 2008 Total Immersion worked on 100 different campaigns; by 2009 this had tripled to over 300 and at present, the company is involved in approximately 600 projects worldwide.

 
Bruno Uzzan, who acts as CEO, explains how the perception of AR technology has changed in the marketing industry in the past five years. ‘As the founder
of Total Immersion, I was one of the first individuals to pitch AR into various industries and the reaction was almost always the same: “Wow this is great but we have no idea how we would use it”. As a result, we had to spend many years evangelising the technology in what was essentially a non-mature market. However, in 2006 we realised that of all the areas we were looking into, there was by far the strongest interest amongst digital marketers – it was for these people that the concept of merging 3D products into a real environment seemed most appealing.

 
‘In the beginning we had to not just pitch augmented reality, but also to pitch an experience – how AR could be applied to the specific product or brand.

 

Read complete article on Contagious Magazine.

Case Study: How Olympus Spurred Product Awareness and Sales With Augmented Reality

Have a look at this full case study : Marketingprofs

It is said that consumers are four times more likely to buy a product once they’ve held it in their hands. But if you know retail, you understand how challenging it can be to get people into stores, let alone within reaching distance of your product (and interested in handling it).

When electronics giant Olympus introduced a new SLR (single lens reflex) hybrid camera to the marketplace, it knew that it was vital that people get their hands on it; that’s because one of the camera’s major selling points was its advanced compact body design. In short, it was far more representative of a pocket-size point-and-shoot than the typical SLR with interchangeable lenses.

 

To provide the masses with a hands-on experience that wouldn’t require heading to the nearest store, Olympus trialed a new augmented-reality technology. Consumers could print out paper-doll versions of the product and test out its various features via an online interactive tutorial and simulation experience. The campaign even included social elements to motivate users to share these virtual experiences with their networks, and a contest was added to draw additional attention.

It worked. Within a month of the campaign’s launch, more than 50,000 people played with the technology, and the company witnessed a jump in in-store inquiries and sales.

Read more

Ecobuild 2011: Augmented Reality Enhances Knauf Product Portfolio

As augmented reality advances in technical capability, an increased range of commercial applications are constantly emerging, identifying new verticals to which the technology can be applied.

Knauf Insulation has enhanced their sales and marketing strategy with AR for Ecobuild 2011 by using augmented reality to demonstrate their residential and commercial insulations product ranges.

The construction industry has flirted with AR before, with sectors such as architecture and planning appearing to have the most obvious synergies. In Knauf’s case the tech was used to expose a difficult and often concealed element of construction, the application of insulation.

Having seen how augmented reality can enhance marketing strategies at events and expos, Knauf approached Hidden to create experiences and AR kiosks for Ecobuild 2011 in an industry first for insulation solutions.
Aside from the augmentations that are being used at the Ecobuild 2011 event, Knauf has commissioned PC and laptop versions of the augmentations in order to equip their sales team with a simple and robust method for demonstrating their product anywhere.

Total Immersion’s partner, Hidden have created three photorealistic 3D renderings of buildings associated to the three desired product sectors. When rotated, the augmentations automatically animate a particular product being applied in a real world situation. The augmentations were distributed across three custom kiosks equipped with HD cameras and 55″ LCD displays. This application allowed the audience to get a close-up and very detailed view of each product. The augmented reality experience has been extended to the Knauf website and visitors were encouraged to take a Knauf information card with which they could control the website augmentation. To view the augmentations please visit http://www.knaufinsulation.co.uk/ar.

In-keeping with their green credentials, Knauf now have the option to re-use the technology and equipment following the Ecobuild event. This has been included as part of their sales strategy, allowing a greater return on their investment and ensuring a carbon neutral footprint with regard to the AR components of the campaign.

Win an Ipad with Clic&Spot : the new pimple-killer advergame in Augmented Reality!

As part of the launch of its clicetgain.com public portal, Clic&Gain, the company specialised in Games & Entertainment Communication organises an original and quirky game-competition in Augmented Reality. This game is based on Face Tracking Augmented Reality from Total Immersion.

It is an example of the type of offers Clic&Gain proposes on their platform to publishers and advertisers for fun and ludic communication campaigns. It has been developed in line of the strict specifications in compliance with current standards such as short format; casual, 4 different levels of difficulties.

 

 

Any publisher can join the programme “fun network” Clic&Gain and beneficiate free of charge from an acquisition animation tool, leveraging loyalty in a simple, shared cooperative manner. Advertisers are also able to communicate through pre-roll advertising using an existing game or through a dedicated advergame. This fun tool generates a real impact and shows true engagement towards the internet user. The real asset for the end user comes from a web browsing enhanced by game playing and gift winning.

The general public portal is a turnkey solution proposed by Clic&Gain to their partners as a link for their communication campaigns.

Clic&Gain is a company specialised in the creation of fun & game contents enhancing enterprises’ communication campaigns. It also offers a mean to network & broadcast games with an acquisition tool for publishers to secure customers loyalty and for advertisers to communicate through an original, fun and interactive tool.

Prix d’Amérique Marionnaud Augmented Reality Online Game

Prix d’Amérique is a harness race held at the Vincennes hippodrome in Paris, France. The race takes place on the last Sunday of January every yearand it is widely considered the most prestigious harness race in the world.

This year, web visitors had the opportunity to participate to this prestigious race through an augmented reality advert-game and to experience sensations of this unique horse race. Total Immersion’s partner Astuce Productions produced this AR experience.