Have you ever wanted to experience a product before actually purchasing it? I mean, really visualize yourself wearing that dress you saw online or get a more realistic image of that sandwich you want to order? You’re not alone. Everytime I log onto a site to purchase a pair of jeans or a blouse, I want to see what it actually would look like on me, too. As augment reality technology expands, experiencing 3D everywhere might actually be around the corner.
This past January, The Glimpse Group held its first media night hoping to spark up conversations surrounding immersive technology. Comprising multiple software and services subsidiaries, the Glimpse Group is a Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) platform company. One brand peaked my interest. QReal, a company that promises it will help “lift your brand into the real world,” is a fairly new subsidiary of The Glimpse Group. Founded by Guler and co-founder Caner Soyer, the brand was formerly known as Kabaq and originally specialized in creating an augmented reality for cuisine. Realizing they wanted to expand, the startup rebranded themselves as QReal. It allows consumers to view 3D models of products like cakes, or add scannable codes into articles to add a virtual, visual aspect of the content.
So what is an augmented reality, or AR, as it’s more commonly known? Simply put, it’s an immersive technology that changes or “augments” a person’s visual or auditory perception of something, thereby changing your entire experience with it.
Augmented reality is actually not a new concept. AR has been used as a tool to train individuals within the health and automotive industries for years. Digital media is rapidly expanding and companies are increasingly looking to connect with consumers, so they’re jumping on the AR train. You’re starting to see AR in marketing campaigns, on apps and social media and even at interactive pop-ups.
Just this last holiday season, QReal partnered with Chanel to design an immersive personalized snow globe for the French’s fashion label’s pop-up at the Standard Highline New York. In addition to fashion, QReal has partnered with major social media platforms including Facebook and Snapchat, to help increase consumer engagement. Storytelling is changing and it seems like augmented reality is its future.
