Desperate for a drink, but not willing to sidle up to a random bar and discover it doesn't carry your favorite beer? Well, if your favorite beer is Stella Artois, you're in luck -- because that cold drink is just an application launch away.
The brand has partnered with augmented reality startup AcrossAir to launch an app that lets users hold up their phones and pan around to see tags superimposed over nearby bars that serve its beer. It's essentially a brand-specific version of Yelp's Monocle app, which allows users to see location-based reviews hovering on their iPhone screens.
The app is just one more example of how augmented reality technology is fast coming into the digital marketing mainstream. VentureBeat reports that AcrossAir turned profitable last month thanks to a mix of advertising, paid apps, and partnerships like the Stella Artois deal. Not too shabby for the vendor of a technology that wasn't even a part of most marketers' vocabulary until a few months ago.
I wonder when the venture capital community will catch up.
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