February 14, 2012
by Todd Wasserman
http://mashable.com
Tic Tac is the latest major brand to embrace augmented reality, and it is doing so in a big way: With three billboards in New York’s Times Square.
The billboards are the latest element of Tic Tac’s “Shake It Up” campaign, which centers around a mobile app (for iOS or Android) that offers extras beyond the outdoor and print ads. For instance, a print ad noting that “84% of People Always Sleep on the Same Side of the Bed,” leads to a mobile game where you roll a man from one side of the bed to the other and avoid falling objects. A bar coaster that talks about using the same pickup lines over and over can also be AR-enhanced to offer some new ones. (See video below.)
The billboards, meanwhile, appear as personalized ads with you at the center when AR-enhanced. The resulting images, which appear to be pictures of you in Times Square, can also be sent to friends via Facebook.
Tic Tac’s AR campaign comes after a raft of brands rolled out campaigns featuring the technology this year. Although some, including Starbucks and Guinness tried their hand at AR last year, so far in 2012, there have been a bunch more, including: Taco Bell, SKYN condoms, Mattel’s Barbie and Starbucks again.
Meanwhile, Times Square has proven to be irresistible to marketers seeking to try out new technologies. Domino’s Pizza, for instance, ran unedited comments from customers culled from its Tracker app last year in Times Square, while Facebook is running a campaign that offers the chance to appear on a Times Square billboard if you share your thoughts on the 2012 election. American Eagle also ran a location-based effort with SCVNGR in late 2010.