Augmented Reality Archives

Singapore – Google and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have officially unveiled the expansion of their augmented reality (AR) guided tour ‘Merli’s Immersive Adventure’ with new iconic landmarks in Singapore.

Powered by Google’s ‘ARCore Geospatial AI’ that can build location-based AR experiences, travellers can now discover and experience more of Singapore’s landmarks virtually at the touch of their fingertips through Merli’s Immersive Adventure.

Merli, Singapore’s tourism mascot, will guide travellers on a tour through six enchanting stops in the popular tourism precincts of Singapore’s Civic District and Chinatown. With just their mobile devices, tourists and residents alike can uncover the country’s historical, cultural, and culinary experience and interact with the nuances of its heritage and modernity.

_{Tourists and residents alike can now immerse themselves in Singapore’s landmarks and cultural heritage through their mobile devices.}

Amongst the new landmarks included in Merli’s Immersive Adventure is Singapore’s first-ever post office, now the iconic Fullerton Hotel, where travellers can send out some virtual postcards to their loved ones.

The expanded map also included the Great Emporium stop, where the life-sized bumboat is brought to life in AR and tourists can learn about the significance of the Singapore River for the city and its people.

Merli also uncovers hidden spots like the Peranakan Tile Gallery, a local Chinatown business that sells tiles salvaged from demolished shophouses. Lastly, the tour includes an AR map for popular food spot offers and must-try hawker dishes at Maxwell Food Centre.

Google and STB share a common vision of helping people explore destinations in more than one way. By leveraging Google’s immersive technology, they were able to lower the barriers of entry and provide an AR map that people can use to travel to destinations without having to be physically there.

Simon Ang, STB director for The Collaboratory, said, “STB actively looks for possible tourism use cases in emerging technologies like Extended Reality (XR). We’ll always be open to piloting new technologies to create novel experiences for visitors and are excited to be working with Google to pioneer this movement.”

Merli’s Immersive Adventure can be accessed through the Visit Singapore Travel Guide app.

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, harnessing the power of augmented reality (AR) and gamification has become paramount for businesses and marketers alike. These innovative technologies are not just trends; they represent a paradigm shift in engagement and customer interaction.

Augmented reality bridges the gap between the physical and digital worlds, offering immersive experiences that captivate audiences. By integrating gamification elements into AR campaigns, companies can tap into the innate human desire for competition, achievement, and rewards, driving deeper engagement and brand loyalty.

In this interview, we spoke with Matthew Endresz, the founder and CEO of XRii, to learn more about the company’s vision and mission of gamifying campaigns through immersive technologies, such as augmented reality.

MARKETECH APAC: In one sentence, what does your company do?

Endresz: XRii allows you to create brilliant and engaging campaigns using augmented reality, geo-mapping and gamification, all within your own app. Think Pokemon Go meshed with Groupon!

MARKETECH APAC: How / why did you start your company?

Endresz: Our journey with XRii began with an audacious belief: the future of customer engagement was on the cusp of a radical transformation, and we wanted to be at the helm of it. We realised that emerging technologies –like augmented reality, geo-mapping, and gamification – were more than just buzzwords. They were untapped resources, brimming with potential to redefine how businesses connect with their audiences.

But what struck us most was a glaring gap in the market. Companies either needed more expertise to integrate these technologies effectively or found the prospect too daunting and complex. That’s when we knew we had to act. The vision for XRii was born out of a desire to democratise access to these cutting-edge technologies, enabling businesses of all sizes to tap into new realms of customer engagement and revenue growth.

MARKETECH APAC: What is the best thing your company has achieved or learnt along the way?

Endresz: Within the first six months of going live, we launched five successful case studies. We also participated in the SportsPro Ignition event and received an exceptional reception. This recognition not only validated the hard work and creativity of our team but also reinforced our belief in the significance of our mission. We are more excited than ever about the future and fuelled by enthusiasm, knowing that the best is still yet to come.

MARKETECH APAC: What’s some advice you’d give to an aspiring martech start-up?

Endresz: The start-up landscape is dynamic, and being adaptable is crucial. Be prepared to learn from both successes and failures as each experience holds valuable insights that can guide your decisions and strategies moving forward. Beyond that, my advice to aspiring start-ups would be:

Ensure that it’s driven by passion: Passion is the driving force that sustains you through the inevitable hurdles and uncertainties that arise. It’s what gives you the energy to persist, iterate and continuously improve your offerings. When your start-up is fuelled by passion, it becomes more than just a business venture – it becomes a mission that you’re truly invested in.

Prioritise quality and excellence: In a competitive landscape, quality and excellence are your distinguishing factors. Strive to create products or services that not only meet but exceed the expectations of your customers. This requires a commitment to consistently delivering value. By focusing on quality, you establish trust and credibility in the minds of your customers, setting the foundation for lasting relationships and positive word-of-mouth.

Nurture the finer details: The success of a start-up often hinges on the finer details that might be overlooked by others. Whether it’s the user interface of your app, the packaging of your product or the clarity of your communication – these seemingly small elements can have a significant impact on the overall perception of your brand. Take the time to refine these details and ensure that every touchpoint reflects the level of care and thoughtfulness that you’ve poured into your venture.

MARKETECH APAC: What’s next for your company?

Endresz: We are committed to strengthening our product, with the goal of optimising the value we deliver to both our existing and new clients and their customers. This will position us strongly for the future whether that’s as the ‘go-to’ marketing platform for brand engagement and conversions through interactive solutions in the APAC region or on the international stage.

MARKETECH APAC: Which other companies do you admire?

Endresz: I have admiration for companies like Apple, Airbnb, Spotify, Disney, Revolut, as well as smaller enterprises such as Vitable. I’m drawn to companies that prioritise design with great intensity. So, Apple’s sleek and user-friendly products, Airbnb’s easy-to-use platform for finding unique places to stay, Spotify’s simple way of discovering music, Disney’s ability to create magical, immersive experiences and Revolut’s modern approach to finance — they showcase the incredible impact that aesthetics and user experience can have in building successful and memorable businesses. Even smaller companies like Vitable show that good design and processes can make a real difference.

Sydney, Australia – Australian beverage brand Billson’s joins forces with local marketing platform XRii to introduce an innovative AR scavenger hunt, which promises a unique holiday shopping experience for locals and travellers alike to visit its brewery and explore the town of Beechworth.

The AR scavenger hunt encouraged shoppers to explore historical sites around Beechworth and collect AR cordials. Once collected, customers were rewarded with a free bottle of Billson’s limited edition cordial that they could redeem at the brewery.

Signage in local businesses, as well as promotion on Billson’s highly engaged social media channels, spread the word about the activation and encouraged people to take part in the experience. The concept was a collaborative process between Billson’s and XRii, and the app was designed, developed and deployed by the XRii team.

Talking about the collaboration, Molly Wescott, marketing manager at Billson, said, “The entire XRii team was amazing from ideation through to the development of the app. The way we were able to utilise their technology to bring even more fun and connection to the brand was really special and helped us to better connect with our consumers.”

“We were interested in working with XRii from the start, not really knowing about the technology. But the team at XRii made it really easy to understand and work with. Now, we’re looking forward to rolling out even more unique experiences together on a national scale,” she added.

Meanwhile, Matthew Endresz, founder and CEO at XRii, commented, “We are thrilled to have partnered with Billson’s in bringing this exciting AR-powered shopping experience to life. Our collaborative journey from ideation to execution has showcased the immense potential of immersive technology in redefining how consumers engage with brands.”

Australia – Tech giant Meta, in collaboration with social enterprise Code Like a Girl and global creative studio T&DA, has launched the Meta Immersive Learning Academy in Australia — a global initiative to support the next generation of creators for the metaverse.

Through this partnership, Meta will be training a cohort of over 200 women and Code Like a Girl community members in 2023 to impart the confidence, tools, knowledge, and support they need to enter the world of immersive technologies.

The academy will provide free, guided training in immersive technologies such as augmented and virtual reality, as well as a place for community building, mentoring and even monetisation opportunities. The curriculum also features the work of prominent Australian AR creators, Jess Herrington and Raymond Leung.

Over an eight-week period, Meta will provide learners with training and coaching, and participants who complete the course will be able to develop face filters, target tracker, and world effects through its AR studio Meta Spark. It will also give participants information sessions and community-building events for women to connect and build networks.

Lastly, the participants can apply for a formal Meta Spark certification upon completion of the course.

Meta will also be launching free, self-guided Meta Spark training modules, which will be available on the MILA Australia website.

“As so many companies build for the metaverse, we’re seeing exciting opportunities for creators to build their business – whether it’s through creating new experiences; designing accessories for avatars; or making the effects that bring augmented reality to life – we want to support creators to make a living,” said Mia Garlick, Meta’s regional lead for APAC.

Ally Watson, CEO and founder of Code Like a Girl, also commented, “We’re delighted to bring this program and cutting edge curriculum to the Code Like a Girl community where it will introduce a much-needed diverse range of creators into the Metaverse – leading us towards more equitable experiences for all genders.”

Raymond Leung, creative director at T&DA also shared his excitement over the Meta Spark curriculum. He likewise mentioned that the program will teach Australians how to effectively use Meta Spark to drive innovation and growth.

“As the demand for digital skills continues to rise, we believe it’s essential to equip individuals and businesses with the tools and knowledge necessary to succeed in today’s rapidly evolving landscape. By leveraging our expertise in education and training and META’s cutting-edge technology, we are confident that the Meta Spark Curriculum will provide valuable insights and practical applications for individuals at all levels,” he added.

Previously, Meta has also unveiled new features for its social media platforms Instagram and Facebook, including a new broadcast channel for Instagram and Meta Verified.

Hong Kong – Financial services company HSBC has launched an augmented reality (AR) campaign alongside Wunderman Thompson Hong Kong to empower Hongkongers to move towards their goals this new year and open up a world of opportunity.

The campaign depicts a virtual wishing tree that carries the wishes of seven million Hongkongers. The wish-making tradition was gamified together with a lucky draw to incentivise city-wide participation. This is all supported by a full suite of product offers including payment, account opening, and investments, amongst others.

Hongkongers can participate by pointing their phone towards the HSBC Main Building, selecting the seed that befits their wish and tossing it towards the building to add their ‘blossom’ to the ‘HSBC Wishing Tree for 7,000,000.’

Participants are then prompted to register for the Lucky Draw with a total prize pool of $1,230,000 RewardCash.

“Each seed of the Wishing Tree for 7,000,000 is a visual representation of the wishes that people make, which then blossoms into an auspicious flower to symbolise how their dreams would come true with the support of HSBC. The words of blessings were creatively crafted to be witty and culturally relevant to engage with local audience in an entertaining and resonating way,” HSBC explained in a press statement.

HSBC also recently launched a campaign alongside MSL Hong Kong, which turned Hong Kong into an ‘open canvas’, coinciding with the launch of HSBC’s Metaverse Gallery, targeted at giving local emerging artists more exposure.

Singapore – Snap, the parent company of social media platform Snapchat, has announced a partnership with education provider Hyper Island to launch an augmented reality (AR) accelerator programme in Singapore.

The two-day course is targeted at digital creatives, marketers and brand managers aimed to accelerate participants’ understanding of AR and integration in marketing strategies.

At the end of the course, attendees will also try their hand at developing Face, World and Landmarker Lenses on Snap’s Lens Studio, a free software that allows anyone to create, publish, and share AR Lenses with millions of Snapchatters across the globe.

The ‘AR Accelerator’ programme will be launched in Singapore first, and rolled out in other markets later in the year. In Singapore, there are two courses, from 6 to 7 September and 29 to 30 November, with a total of 20 spaces available for anyone to sign up at a cost of S$2,500.

Gareth Leeding, head of creative strategy APAC at Snap Inc. said, “The growing smartphone adoption and camera usage in APAC has led to an increased acceptance of augmented reality. Businesses that incorporate augmented reality in their customer outreach are able to invite people into an immersive experience, facilitate product try-ons, and activate useful formats for education, thus generating conversation. At Snap we believe AR is unlocking channels to reach potential customers far beyond traditional offerings.”

He added, “We are extremely excited to partner with Hyper Island to launch a unique educational programme in Singapore to help hone augmented reality skills of local creatives and marketing professionals. Through the ‘AR Accelerator’ programme, participants will learn about the power and potential of AR, the development of full-funnel, always-on AR strategies and the ideation and even creation of prototypes. We are confident through this course we will be able to increase understanding of AR and further its integration into marketing activities.”

Meanwhile, Paviter Singh, head of courses at Hyper Island Asia, commented, “At Hyper Island, we believe in designing learning experiences that challenge companies and individuals to grow and stay competitive in an increasingly digitised world. With our keen knowledge of education and learning built over the past 25 years, coupled with Snap’s expertise in AR, we are confident to deliver a concise and bespoke programme to inspire, equip, and support the growth of the participants.”

Manila, Philippines – Local media and entertainment company KROMA has teased its so-called ‘tradigital’ entertainment offering through an extended reality (xR) event hosted by the company on 6 April. In it, they showcased KROMA’s immersive experience for its online audience by combining the physical and virtual worlds.

Far from the usual green screen execution, the xR disguise is a more dynamic and intense production. It allowed KROMA officials to interact smoothly with complex virtual effects and real-time computer graphics, resulting in more natural shots. Moreover, The xR disguise platform creates exciting live visual experiences based on augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR).

According to Denise Seva, head of KROMA’s full-service activation brand LiveMNL and Music, they will continue to evolve by integrating the live component and product and tech innovations in the digital space.

“We at LiveMNL are always on the lookout for something fresh and innovative in delivering our events – be it ours or for our clients. I’ve seen a lot of comments that people were very impressed and happy with what we produce, so expect more of that coming from LiveMNL,” Seva said.

Meanwhile, Ian Monsod, CEO at KROMA, said the launch production is not the sole proof that shows how KROMA is going beyond content to further enrich the audience experience. He added that by being part of the Globe Group’s telecommunications and technology ecosystem, KROMA can connect consumers to related interests and passion points, communities, brands, websites, apps, and services essential to their daily lives.

“We are a diverse team of passionate individuals who bring together varying perspectives and points of view to create something engaging, exciting, and trailblazing for the Filipino audience. We do this across our ecosystem of brands, creators, content, and experiences. We have something for everyone’s entertainment,” Monsod said.

Singapore – Regional e-commerce platform Lazada has launched an augmented reality-powered feature called ‘Virtual Try-On’, where users can instantly sample products with pictures or live videos of themselves before making a purchase.

Users are able to immerse themselves with hyper-realistic virtual makeovers, try-on beauty products in real-time with true-to-life results. The ultra-personalised experience is straightforward and instantaneous, increasing customer satisfaction and confidence, and helping create great shopping journeys, without the need for physical product sampling.

The feature leverages Perfect Corp’s try-on platform, allowing consumers to preview their looks with the in-store experience in their homes via the LazMall flagship stores of Bobbi Brown, Estée Lauder and M.A.C.

Alice Chang, founder and CEO at Perfect Corp, said, “Here at Perfect Corp, we pride ourselves on delivering market-reading AI and AR-powered virtual makeup try-on solutions that seamlessly integrate into our brand partners’ channels, and help them create high touch, customised, and ultra-realistic virtual shopping experiences. We are excited to partner with Lazada to bring our revolutionary solutions to their customers.”

Meanwhile, James Chang, chief business officer at Lazada, commented, “With Lazada’s shoppertainment strategy, we are excited to collaborate with more partners and introduce new virtual enhancements to uplift consumers’ experiences especially as e-commerce becomes an integrated part of lifestyles in Southeast Asia.”

He added, “This latest successful pilot is testament to the great partnerships we have and our commitment to scale up such immersive real-world experiences with more brands and products. Shoppers will definitely get to easily discover and try more new products while having fun with their friends and family when shopping on the platform.”

Singapore – In honour of International Women’s Day, which is celebrated on 8 March, the camera and social media company Snap has launched three workshops across SEA called ‘Lensathon’, aimed at upskilling and encouraging participation of young women in augmented reality (AR).

The workshops will let participants use Lens Studio, Snap’s free desktop app, to create and design their own AR experiences with the theme of International Women’s Day. The workshops were conducted by women creators from Snapchat Lens Network namely Danielle Grace for Indonesia and Singapore, and Yong Nurain Sofia Binti Khairulhiddard for Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Moreover, Lensathon participants who will be submitting valid Lenses will stand a chance to join its Lens Studio Community and pursue their passion for AR.

Grace commented that she is honoured to be able to teach Lens Studio workshops to bud female creators in SEA to help them express their creativity with augmented reality.

“Having used Lens Studio to create thousands of AR Lenses myself, I know the potential for creativity is limitless and I can’t wait to see the creations from our growing creator community,” she said.

Meanwhile, Anubhav Nayyar, Snap’s director of market development for SEA, shared that their approach to AR is rooted in storytelling and creativity as the entry points to introduce this new technology to broad audiences.

“We have greatly evolved AR not only for entertainment but also utility use-cases like education, commerce etc. Our International Women’s Day Lensathon hopes to inspire and upskill women across the region to bring their creativity and passion to life,” said Nayyar.

Snap said it has been conducting multiple Lens Studio workshops across SEA to help students and youths create shared experiences and express their ideas in compelling ways. It also announced that it will be leveraging the power of AR by launching a series of special, #BreakTheBias AR Lenses, and hyperlocal geofilters for Women’s Day, in alignment with the celebration.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – In the spirit of the current Chinese New year festivities, Malaysia’s national QR standard DuitNow has launched a CNY-themed campaign that is consisted of a 3D CuBig billboard on Jalan Ampang that is sure to make Malaysians have a ‘roarsome’ Year of the Tiger.

The campaign features a QR code that users can scan and use an IG filter to interact with. It is the first of its kind in Malaysia and has already caught the eye of passersby, all eager to enjoy this interactive experience and share it with their friends and family.

Malaysians can send or tag unforgettable Chinese New Year greetings to their loved ones by simply scanning the QR code on the billboard and interacting with it using the IG filter.

“We wanted to give Malaysians a little something extra to be excited about this Chinese New Year, and an interactive AR experience at a prime location in Kuala Lumpur seemed like the perfect idea. Our Sure Can campaign aims to encourage Malaysians to make payments using DuitNow QR so that they can have the ultimate convenience when it comes to shopping,” a spokesperson for PayNet commented regarding the campaign.

With AR interactions normally confined to much smaller real estate such as brochures or ang-pao packets, DuitNow QR commissioned Dreamsmind by DreamsKingdoms to take on the task of bringing this to life. To make it as realistic as possible, DreamsKingdoms opted to shoot real world footage of a lion dance combined with 3D ambience as opposed to the norm of using full 3D animation, with the end result ultimately paying off.

Interested ones who want to see the campaign in action can head over to the interactive DuitNow QR billboard on Jalan Ampang, at the intersection in front of KLCC, and then scan the QR code to access the DuitNow QR Instagram filter.