London’s 3rockAR Launches Pop-Up, AR-Driven “Magic Mirror” Network For UK Malls, Other Venues

September 7, 2021 by Dave Haynes

A London company focused on augmented reality applications and content has launched what it calls the world’s first AR-enabled digital out-of-home advertising network.

The company says it has access to more than 80 sites in the UK – presumably malls and mass transit hubs – to put up a large-format screen and camera system that overlays a viewcam shot of onlookers with other content, for brands and things like movie releases.

3rockAR calls the product a Magic Mirror. The video (below) gives you a sense of what’s done …

The premise is that this sort of thing stops people and the more people it stops, the more likely a crowd starts to gather in places like a shopping mall’s center court area.

I am 100% in the grumpy old guy category that would not stop and “engage” with this sort of thing, but I can respect that my point of view may not be the prevailing one.

This is not new, but like everything, it’s improved. We’ve seen these kinds of AR efforts on a grand scale in major rail stations in the UK, as well as a little bit in Times Square, going back as much as 10 years. But but those are done on very large LED billboards and will often be part of a booked rotation of spots. This Magic Mirror would presumably be running the AR campaign full-time.

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