By Bruno Uzzan CEO of Total Immersion — Graphic Arts Online

Augmented reality (AR) has been in the consumer mainstream for less than a year, but the technology has been around for considerably longer. Enabling Web-based AR has quickly opened up an enormous array of digital marketing applications. Digital marketing is the very visible tip of the iceberg, but below that water line, there’s a vast array of applications—many of them transformative—that are poised for development, tied closely to printing.

AR is a trend, not a gimmick. As some forward-looking brands have demonstrated, it’s nothing less than a new human interface, a new paradigm that encompasses anything digital or virtual that “crosses over” into your real environment. As such, this begins to define a new type of interactive, sensory engagement.

Analyst Christine Perey, principal of Perey Research & Consulting, recently described the trend in this way: “Augmented reality is a way of mixing digital information and the real world in a highly interactive manner and, though in its infancy, it is already proving to be useful.” more

French leading editor, Editions Atlas released this week unique Augmented Reality Experience in its StarWars Comics Collectors. By showing the comic to your webcam, you can see in Augmented Reality Luke Skywalker with his lightsaber.

New exclusive and interactive content will be released with upcoming comics.

Comic is available in France and on Editions Atlas website.

More information about this collection on official website (in French) or on Facebook.

Photos : Olivier Martin-Gambier

Last 4^th March, the Augmented Reality Experience was released in 3 locations at the same time:

-           In kiosks featured on Renault’s booth at 80^th International Motor Show & Accessories in Geneva, with kiosks from March 4^th to March 14^th.

-           On Renault’s website, where you can try this experience :

Renault Wind  www.renault-wind.com (section Goodies)

New Renault Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet www.new-megane.com

-           In Renault Flagship Store « L’Atelier Renault»  on 53 Avenue des Champs-Elysées in Paris where you can experience it live till June 20^th.

AR Experience shows up interactive scenario including such car configurator and demonstration of top opening using finger pointing technology.

It is difficult to see the future, but it is not impossible to spot upcoming trends in toys. Three experts in the field sat down with moderator and author of “Out of the Toybox,” Richard Gottlieb, at the 2010 Engage Expo in New York to answer questions about the future of toys and the “transmedia” trend of merging physical toys or objects with online, video and robotic capabilities.

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Greg Davis, U.S. general manager of Total Immersion, commented on the importance of using published content and UGC together. He said consumers like to personalize everything and are attracted to sites that allow freedom of creativity.

“There may have been a novelty of purely amateur UGC,” Davis said. “But I think that was has taken shape as of late is consumers making published content their own and putting their own spin on it.”

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Nissan France launched a unique In Store Nissan Qashqai Augmented Reality Experience featuring finger pointing technology  to configure the colour of the crossover and an exciting game emphasizing the car.

Experience it here.

Credit : Nissan / Duke Interactive

Total Immersion will be present on this event to speak about Augmented Reality and Mobile. If you plan to attend this event, please contact us !

16:50 (50 minutes) Augmented Reality, what for?
Moderator: Jerome Bouteiller

For its 4th edition, ‘Le Mobile 2.0’ provides an incomparable opportunity to discover the latest fashions, best practices and mobile applications at the heart of your business: Mobile payments, Traffic generation, Increased Reality, Mobile Marketing Campaign, iPhone applications, Social Networks…

10 Conferences to position the mobile in your Digital strategy:
- Forrester analysis of the European market and emerging countries.
- Localisation – a big winner for mobile applications?
- Zoom on the best of mobile payments.
- Media experiences with Mobiles.
- The best practical uses and mobile design.
- Store and Web applications – is there a difference?
- Increased reality – what for?

A morning of Mobile Marketing!
Mobile Marketing opportunities today and tomorrow…
How to mount a Mobile Marketing Campaign.
Zoom on the best school cases.

More information here.

Here is a report from French National Television France3 about Augmented Reality and Total Immersion. (December 2009)