Warfare In Your Hand

Hitting the Internet today from John Mayer is the world's first augmented reality music video. While most of the augmented reality experiences I have tried out don't really expand beyond short animations, this one depicts John Mayer performing the entire song with video elements and changing backgrounds. Check it out HERE.

The idea of an augmented reality music video is really cool. As a final product, it does demonstrate some potential for the future if augmented reality, but not without highlighting a few of the technology's current weaknesses.

I think due to limitations of the technology, it doesn't look all that great visually. Usually these executions feature only animated 3D renderings. Because they used video, John Mayer is a bit flat and pixelated. Also, there are only two fairly generic backgrounds that switch in and out. If this were an actual music video, it would be slammed for being one of the ugliest and cheesy videos of all time.

As an augmented reality piece however, it's an exciting new step and a proof of concept for something more than what it currently is. It was a weird sensation to be "holding" John Mayer in my hands. I look forward to seeing how creative minds push this technology.

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Check the AR, You Like It So Far?

*brownie points for anyone that can correctly name the song I'm referring to in the post title*

Today on the Adweek website, they've posted an article about Augmented Reality (AR). While the technology isn't necessarily new (I remember seeing videos of this type of technology in action years ago, unfortunately I can't recall exactly what the video was called to show it to you), Adweek discusses it's potential as the next big thing in advertising.

The article focuses in on one company in particular:

Zugara is dabbling in this area with its Webcam Social Shopper app. The prototype, which the shop created as a test for clients, lets consumers "try on" clothing -- via their Webcams and monitors -- as if they were in a store. In a twist reminiscent of Minority Report, users can switch to new outfits by motioning with their hands. They can also share their outfits through social networks like Facebook.

It's kind of crazy to think this is the stuff we thought of being way off in the distant future, and it's happening now. And it's cool to see that they're doing something a bit more "practical" with the technology. As new technology is rolled out, we get caught up in doing the flashiest and coolest things we can while losing site of our overall goals, objectives and concepts.

These types of executions have mostly been done using paper, but the article discusses the next step of bringing this type of technology to mobile devices. I think once that is up and running, it'll really take off.

Matt Szymczyk, CEO of Zugara, goes as far as saying that AR will be the big thing in the next year. Yes, he has a vested interest in this technology taking off, but do you agree? Disagree?

Even without the mobile integration, I'd love to start thinking of ways to use that technology. Do you have any ideas off the top of your head?

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