I’ve heard there are large numbers of Poliwag in my area? But Poliwhirl are difficult to find. Yes I’m talking about Pokemon Go - the Augmented Reality app that brings gaming into the real world. The global success of Pokemon Go presents a massive opportunity for marketers.

At Cannes Lions this year, it was Product Design Jury President Amina Horozic who said, “Technology should be seamlessly integrated into our lives, so we don’t talk about analog and digital, we just talk about solutions.” Mixed Reality takes this one step further by combining endless virtual possibilities with real-world exploration.

Our obsession with Pokemon Go

In the US Pokemon Go has already attracted over 21 million active daily players, spending on average 33 minutes and 25 seconds a day (which is greater than Facebook at 22 minutes). Players are encouraged to explore local neighbourhoods to find, lure and catch Pokemon for their Pokedex. To advance through the game, players need to team up in real world locations. This combination of on and offline interaction gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘social media’.

Currently revenue in the US and UK comes from purchasing in-game Pokecoins, which can be swapped for Lure Modules (a sort of Poke-vacuum). When the game launched in Japan, McDonald’s became the first official sponsored location. Going forward there will be an opportunity for businesses to feature on the virtual map or as virtual power-up stations, where players are encouraged to meet and exchange their time for Pokecoins.  

Pokemon Go has brought about a new dimension to gaming, accessible to anyone who owns a smartphone. It’s created a new social space whereby players combine their physical and digital worlds. While this gaming phenomenon has catapulted AR into the mainstream, there are other sectors using the technology to seamlessly integrate our on and offline existence.

The possibilities for image recognition

At Cannes Lions this year London-based Blippar invited creative agencies to sign-up and trial their new AR content creation software. By pointing a smartphone camera at an object the technology will recognise the item and transform the screen into a visual search browser filled with relevant information.

This instant physical-digital connection provides new opportunities for brands. Max Factor customers can use Blippar to scan products for reviews, tips and buying options. Over time as the tool learns from customer behaviour, there’s the potential to deliver a more personalised service, from product ingredients to bespoke offers.

At Wired Retail, Si Brown of AR company Skingz, told the audience, “This is shopping at a real micro level…Purchasing for me isn't just about paying money, it’s about the whole transaction. At Glastonbury, imagine if festival-goers could hold up their phones to find out who’s next on a specific stage, and then get money off album purchases.”

Mixed Reality head-gear

While the ubiquity of the smartphone makes this technology available to everyone, there are the lucky few who have been trialling Mixed Reality head-gear. If you have a spare $3,000 you can get your hands on Microsoft’s HoloLens Development Edition. There’s always a level of scepticism when it comes to new technology, but initial reviews of the product have surpassed expectations. From routing wood to catching Pokemon, this technology has myriad applications.

We’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. In May the Founder of Wired, Kevin Kelly, wrote about Magic Leap; a company he described as “the world’s most secretive start-up.” When visiting their Florida office he saw “human-sized robots walk through the actual walls of the room, which could be shot with power blasts from a prop gun.” They are yet to release a beta version of their head-gear, but the industry is waiting.

With the future of AR and MR looking promising, there are already some brands testing the limits of the technology. Read on for examples.