AR falls into the category of interactive
or connected print – the ability to
interact with printed material (such as
catalogs, direct mail, inserts, displays,
and packaging) using a mobile phone
(or some other digital-enable device).
Th e various technologies that enable
interactive print may be text-based (e.g.,
short codes, long codes, phone numbers);
code-based (UPC, QR); proximity-based
(NFC, beacons) and image-based (e.g.,
image recognition, watermarks).
BlueSoho, the marketing and content
services agency that is a division of
Quad Graphics, has delivered over
5,000 connected print activations (print
to digital) since 2010. It has been part
of a number of fi rst wide scale uses of
various interactive print technologies:
the NFC program for Wired/Lexus; AR
and watermarks for the 2018 Sports
Illustrated swimsuit issue (which also
used virtual reality); AR and image
recognition for Esquire and Redbook;
Microsoft Tag for Lucky Magazine; NFC
and bluetooth pop-up kiosks for US
Bank; and beacons with RetailerNOW.
BlueSoho also worked with the Editor
of Cosmo to put a QR code on the cover
that was basically a ‘reveal’ meets ‘deal
of the day’—it performed quite well in
terms of scans (clickthroughs), email
capture, and overall engagement, said
John Puterbaugh, Ph.D., Managing
Director for BlueSoho.
“Publishers were the main early
adopters of interactive print tech,” he
added. “More recently, we’ve worked
with a wide range of catalogers and
direct mailers and retailers.”
Doing it Right
Interactive print and social connected
activations are important amplifi ers
in multi-channel marketing programs,
Puterbaugh said. Th e activations, used
in grand openings and campaigns
tailored to drive in-store foot traffi c,
help amplify a wide range of brand
touchpoints, from direct mail to in-store
pop-up displays.
Employing AR or other types of
interactive print is not without its risk.
Besides the production challenges,
brands have to navigate a fi ne line between
being ‘hokey’ and having the AR
experience resonate with the consumer.
Treasury Wine Estates has certainly
accomplished the latter.
What made it work? “We delivered
a range of consumer experiences
through the AR platform– these include
bringing characters from the brand to
life on the label (19 Crimes), providing
extension of TV entertainment and
characters (Walking Dead), promoting
the history of a winery (Beringer
Bros) and more recently,
educating wine lovers through
the voice of the winemaker
(Chateau St Jean), and providing
tips on etiquette for the
modern gentleman via Lindeman’s
Gentleman’s Collection,”
said Terry.
Consumers today want to go
interact with brands beyond
just a simple purchase; they
are looking to be part the
brand story, part of something
bigger. “Th e Living Wine
Label app allows our consumers to
be part of a community,” said Terry.
“It becomes a portal for TWE to build
relationships with our consumers.”
“AR has contributed to 19 Crimes
experiencing double digit growth and
becoming a $1.5 million case brand,”
said Mitchell. “It won the Impact Hot
Brands award in the US, which recognized
the role of AR in driving growth
of the brand, and has also just won a Super
REGGIE – an extremely prestigious
marketing award in the US recognizing
the best marketing campaigns from
brands and agencies.”
Facts about
19 Crimes APP
• More than 1.3 million downloads globally
• Ranked #41 for non-paid apps in food &
beverage category (top 50)
• 4+ star rating in iOS/android store
• Supporting viral efforts - Facebook video
on the app, which has received over 19 million
views and 225K shares
Building on the
Possibilities
“We think retailers are looking for new
ways to engage consumers and this
technology cuts through the noise of
the busy shelf,” said Terry.
Marketers and brands continue to
explore the realm of interactive print.
Extended Reality (XR), which includes
immersive media, 360 video, mixed
reality, VR, as well as AR, has proven to
have very high engagement numbers
that surpass video in a number of areas,
said Puterbaugh. “Th e challenge is that
extended reality (XR) and immersive
media are arguably a new form of
media and storytelling that is akin to
when we went from radio to TV,” he
added. “Transitioning to new media
formats can be very disruptive and
oft en are based on prior media formats
and structures.”
Also proving challenging is reach and
distribution, noted Puterbaugh.
However, this is just the beginning.
Apple’s ARKit and Google’s ARCore
are bringing built-in AR capabilities
to the smartphone.
“Going forward, our focus is how to
help retailers and brand marketers
deliver integrated, multi-channel
programs designed to help them
achieve their business goals,” said
Puterbaugh. “As part of this process,
various amplifi cation vehicles such as
interactive print are integrated into
the overall campaign based on the
locations, target audience, and overall
campaign goals.
PrintingNewscom June 2018 Printing News 19
/PrintingNews.com