For years, we’ve been hearing about the promise of Augmented Reality (AR). We’ve seen glimpses of its potential, but mostly, it has been relegated to niche applications and has failed to catch on as a mainstream technology.
With the release of ARKit in iOS 11, Apple aims to make augmented reality as pervasive as smartphones. For the first time, developers have an easy and reliable method for creating and delivering high-quality AR apps to a mass audience.
Not to be outdone, Google recently announced a similar technology, called ARCore. While a release date hasn’t been announced, it is expected to see widespread adoption on Android within a couple of years.
What does this all mean? “Within this decade, augmented reality is going to change the way the always-connected consumer works, shops and plays,” says Jay Samit, author of the AdAge article, Augmented Reality: Marketing’s Trillion-Dollar Opportunity. In an interview with The Independent, Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, said that he “doesn’t think ‘anything will be untouched’” by AR.
Needless to say, AR will have a huge impact on the advertising industry. It will open up opportunities for advertisers to create all-new experiences and for brands to tell their stories in more compelling ways. The Forbes Agency Council, made up of executives in PR, media and creative agencies, describe 11 creative uses of AR in marketing and advertising.
This is early innings, but the groundwork has been laid for an “AR everywhere” future. To get a glimpse of how AR will transform the way we view and interact with the real world, check out some of the examples below. You can also download from a growing library of AR apps from the App Store.
