Sydney, Australia – The Billy Blue College of Design at the Torrens University in Australia has tapped creative agency SomeOne, media company VCCP, and augmented reality (AR) specialist Unbnd to creating an immersive augmented reality experience in reimagining how prospective students engage with the college when considering where to study.

A demonstration of the Billy Blue College augmented reality experience.

Students wanting to learn more about the school’s courses in Branded Fashion, Interior Design, Graphic Design, and Photography, among others are invited to visit and experience the Billy Blue College of Design at Torrens University Australia’s Start Your Adventure web-based Augmented Reality (AR) experience.

The AR experience is a step further to the college’s stance on  the traditional college course guide, as Tom Dabner, creative director at SomeOne, describes the AR college guide experience as a ‘world first’.

“As far as we can see, this is the first of its kind in the world: a unique experience that showcases the increasing convergence of design and technology and allows users to explore the range of design and creative technology courses on offer at the College,” Dabner stated.

Through the AR experience, students can also explore a Branded Fashion studio, see an Interior Design concept showroom come to life, and witness the skills honed in Communication and Graphic Design. Each zone features a selection of work from students past and present who have gone on to do needle shifting work across industries.

“Through insight and ideation workshops with more than 100 collaborators, including current students, staff, and agencies, it became very clear that one of the best ways to engage with people was to show them what was possible if they study with us at Billy Blue,” said Paul Brafield, general manager of design and creative technology at Billy Blue College of Design at Torrens University Australia.

Meanwhile, Beth Duddy, CX director at VCCP, described that advertising through AR is on the ‘cusp of a boom’, expected to grow from US$5.1B to US$198B by 2025.

“It offers a much more immersive and emotive experience that really captures users’ attention in a memorable way. It’s really exciting that we can play in the field, and potentially grow the experience in the future,” Duddy stated.

Students can activate the experience by scanning QR codes placed in ads across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

As of this writing, more than 7,000 people have participated in the experience, which can be enjoyed both on Android and iOS. Users activate the experience by scanning the QR code printed on the Billy Blue course guide, visiting the AR experience’s website, or from multiple advertising billboards of Billy Blue placed across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.


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