Stay up to date: 5 Augmented Reality trends in 2019

According to the research and forecasts of TechCrunch, Digi-Capital and ABI Research, in the next 10 years AR technology will take a large share of the market. According to the Digi-Capital report, AR can reach 3.5 billion installed applications and up to $ 85–90 billion within 5 years.

Worldwide spending on AR and VR will grow 68.8% from last year to about $20.4 billion in 2019, according to estimates from the International Data Corporation. The industries that will spend the most on AR/VR are personal and consumer services ($1.6 billion), retail ($1.56 billion) and discrete manufacturing ($1.54 billion), IDC estimated.

These data indicate that the request for innovative technologies on the market takes its origin not only from brands, but also from the audience. Now we are going to look through 5 main AR trend that we should be ready for in 2019.

#1. Increasing Mobile AR

The key message of increasing AR as a main tool in the market is its availability. To implement augmented reality, end users will only need their smartphone or tablet, while VR needs an additional headset. Therefore, the possibilities for daily use of augmented reality are much greater.

Such tools as ARKit and ARCore, AR is enabled on more than 500 million devices. The iOS App store offers more than 2,000 AR apps, and Google Play offers more than 200.

Due to the fact that the mechanism of the work of augmented reality in the daily life of the user is becoming more and more familiar thing, it is expected that the number of Mobile AR experience will increase. This technology will be particularly active in the field of advertising and to optimize various production processes.

For example, Domino’s worldwide chain of pizzerias has released an application with augmented reality, which enables customers to make their favorite pizza using various combinations of ingredients. The app will run in the pizzeria chain in Australia.Using innovative technologies customers are offered a new pizza creation experience.

The resource of Tractica believes that in 2019 the installed base of actively used applications of augmented reality will grow to more than 2.2 billion applications.

#2. AR as a tool for effective Marketing & Advertising campaigns

Augmented Reality (AR) is an effective marketing tool that creates a new unique brand world, strengthens its advantages in the actual reality and gives the user a unique multimedia experience of interaction with the product.
A number of brands using AR in their marketing campaigns is increasing. Such companies as Coca-Cola, Nike, Apple, Microsoft, Lego, Facebook are already actively using AR in their advertising campaigns.

For example, In February 2018 in the largest US network of Walmart stores, the sale of AR-books of American publisher Little Hippo and Live Animations developers started. In total, 4 world-famous children’s books from the Little Hippo publishing house are released for sale: “Little Red Riding Hood”, “The Three Little Pigs”, “The Velveteen Rabbitt”, “Masha and The Three Bears”, with a circulation of 250,000 copies.

On June 7, 2018, a series of children’s fairy tales with augmented reality by Live Animations and the Little Hippo publishing house received the Parents Choice Award, the prestigious world award in the United States. It is awarded by the non-profit Parents Choice Foundation to celebrate the best products for children of all ages.

AR is a tool that can be used for almost any product and service to enhance or emphasize brand properties and to show how a product can fit into their daily lives.

#3.AR becoming an always-on communication channel

Augmented reality can lead the market to moving from individual marketing campaigns to constant communication with end users. We have the opportunity to conduct a direct dialogue with the audience, using both the virtual product space and the user environment in real time. Thus, augmented reality can be a guide to the world of the brand, in which events occur constantly. This approach will allow the use of augmented reality as a powerful tool that performs information and educational functions.

Air New Zeland has developed a large-scale three-dimensional topographic map of New Zealand, which was put into the shell of an exciting game for the whole family. It could be played via Magic Leap One.

Developed together with Framestore studio, another partner of Magic Leap, this experience engages users in the variety of activities: from a helicopter bungee jumping and tour with whales to meeting hobbits. In addition to the visual effects, the game also offers a quiz component to draw users into the world of New Zealand culture.

#4. Attention to packaging

With the development of augmented reality technology, packaging is potentially becoming one of the most powerful channels for dialogue with audiences.

The Live Animations company released on the order of one of the largest manufacturers of confectionery products KONTI an AR-application with 20 cartoons. Keys that open the next series of animations are printed right on the package.

On the technical side, no one has yet used ARcore and ARkit technologies for marketing purposes on any product at the same time. Konti and Live Animations are the first to combine animation with AR technology in one application — recognizing packaging and playing animation right on it and ARkit / ARcore technologies that allow you to install and watch cartoons on any surface, walk right next to the characters and cartoon from any side, and even games in the application itself in 2D format.

As a result, packaging has become a powerful channel of communication, both in terms of customer interaction, and to get the best analytics.

#5. AR is about now

Augmented reality allows you to address information to users not just quickly, but in real time. Accordingly, the audience can witness various actual phenomena, connecting the world of augmented reality and the real environment. Therefore, AR can be one of the most important tools in the implementation of situational campaigns.

For Example, London’s most iconic clock tower, Big Ben, stopped working in 2017 due to the demanded conservation of the object. The closing of Big Ben meant that these bells would remain silent until 2021, according to a parliamentary statement. Thanks to the Snapchat’s new lens, London will not have to wait so long to hear Big Ben ring again. Users with the help of their smartphones can see the famous life-size tower without scaffolding around it. The restored clock will appear inside a giant snow globe with the message “Happy Holidays”, and increasing the volume on your phone you will be able to hear the bells of Big Ben.

The AR lens is activated using the current view of Big Ben, the forest and everything else to trigger the reviving animation effect.