XR Roundup #3: What We Are Reading
We compiled the latest articles, whitepapers, and research reports that have been inspiring us for the past week. They are the stand-outs, the notables, and the new stuff that gets us excited about what’s going on in emerging technology (in chronological order).
Grocery AR
Augmented Reality is coming to grocery stores (9to5 Google, 9/12/19). Fingers crossed that this future doesn’t look like the one imagined by Keiichi Matsuda.
VR in the Sky
British Airways flights from London to JFK will have VR experiences in 2D, 3D, or 360 video. (The Newspaper, 9/11/19)
Any Industry?
People outside of XR wonder where the applications of VR/AR could be. Those within the industry are likely to say any industry has the potential to apply the tech. CIO Review called out their 5 top industries (CIO Review, 9/11/19)
Ever Wanted To Be A NASCAR Driver?
NASCAR launched the AR Burnout Experience Driven by Goodyear (NASCAR, 9/11/19)
Our World’s Gonna Get More Crowded
ARCore has launched a consistent cloud anchor allowing AR to stay in locations for longer than the 24 hours that had previously been permitted (The Verge, 9/12/19). Venture Beat (9/21/19) also talked about how AR will turn the world into a stage
Everyone is Doing It. (Now you should too.)
For some industries it’s starting to feel like “who isn’t doing AR” vs “who is?” - beauty and hair color seems to be the former. AR is starting to be a part of regular business practice. See L’Oreal Color&Co (Mobile Marketer, 9/16/19), Facebook’s new beta ad format where they suggested lipstick try ons as a use case (CNBC, 9/19/19), and Meredith pitching AR experiences for advertisers (The Drum, 9/24/19).
AR Photo Booths
The Dallas Coyboys launched AR photo booths that one article described as “Rad as Hell.” Do you agree? (Central Track).
AR: Not Just For Try-Ons
It looks like traditional eyewear companies are moving beyond AR try-ons into actual integration of the technology as CNET reported (9/17/19)
Yet Another Format
Verizon has entered the market with a native AR ad format (Verizon, 9/23/19). Excited to see where that takes us.
AR for Social Good
A campaign to push for the end of malaria launched during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). “The filter simulates a swarm of deadly mosquitoes around the user’s head, which only dissipate when the user 'speaks up,' reinforcing the message that malaria declines with increased action, but can return with a vengeance when the fight is deprioritised.” (Value Walk, 9/23/19)
Swipe To Continue
Tinder has entered the original content business with their Swipe Night series (Ad Week).
AI to Fee America
Wondering how to integrate virtual humans and AI? Feeding America has to show the face of hunger (Ad Age, 9/23/19)
Gesture Marketing?
VR/AR takes another leap - or is it gesture? - forward with Facebook’s acquisition of CTRL-Labs (MarTech, 9/24/19) and their announcement of gesture recognition for the Oculus (Venture Beat, 9/25/19)