The news cycle doesn’t really slow down in the XR world. Fortunately, in the last few weeks, a lot of announcements and updates have been in the spirit of the season. Hopefully, these festive mobile AR engagements will help you stay in the holiday spirit.
The HERMÈS MERRY SNOWMAN
HERMÈS teamed up with 8th Wall to create the MERRY SNOWMAN experience. Users visit the website linked above to scan a QR code. From there, they can customize a 3D snowman, including a hat, scarf, eyes, buttons, and arms. When finished, users can type a festive message and send their customized snowman to friends and family.
The experience has an optional mobile AR mode that allows a viewer to tap a location in their surroundings to view the snowman in their environment. However, users with less powerful mobile phones can also select to view the snowman in a web3D environment without the use of AR.
Volkswagen’s Joy Is a State of Drive
Volkswagen launched the 2022 Taos SUV with another 8th Wall-powered mobile AR experience, Joy Is a State of Drive.
This experience allows users to customize a virtual road trip for an AR Taos SUV, complete with holiday music and festive scenery.
Smule Gets a Signal Boost for Carols
Smule is a mobile app that lets participants sing karaoke together from across the globe, incorporating AR lenses created with Snap’s camera kit. This kind of mobile AR experience can be pretty draining depending on the device and the network. Fortunately, earlier this month Smule integrated with Agora to reduce latency just in time for caroling.
“Many families still can’t be together this year due to travel restrictions, so we’re thrilled to give them the opportunity to live stream and sing carols together virtually,” Agora CEO and founder Tony Zhao said in a release shared with ARPost. “By powering real-time engagement, we’re enabling millions to connect virtually during the holiday season and still feel a sense of being present together.”
Smule is also rolling out new holiday lenses and an enhanced “Sing” feature that will allow users to record themselves singing holiday favorites with recordings of the original performers.
Watch for Mobile AR This Christmas
These are just a few mobile AR experiences that anyone can experience from anywhere. However, a lot of the most magical AR experiences work with the environments around them. So, keep an eye out for location-based holiday experiences wherever you celebrate this year, or for branded experiences on products that you purchase or receive as gifts.
Happy holidays from ARPost!
