Snap Inc. and the Weekend Australian Magazine unveil magazine cover powered by AR
The Weekend Australian Magazine and Snap Inc. have released a magazine cover leveraging augmented reality (AR).
The announcement:
Snap Inc. and The Weekend Australian Magazine have collaborated on their first-ever augmented reality (AR) cover for the final issue of 2023, “The Hot List”, on sale this Saturday, 16 December, in The Weekend Australian. In an Australian exclusive, the immersive multimedia cover will bring one of Snapchat’s AR moments from the Louvre’s Egypt Augmented experiences to Australian shores.
In October, Snap’s Paris-based AR Studio and the Musée du Louvre unveiled “Egypt Augmented”, a series of innovative and educational augmented reality experiences to be enjoyed on-site in the Department of Egyptian Antiquities and in the cour Carrée of the Musée du Louvre in Paris.
The AR experiences reveal the shapes, materials, colours and decorations of the selected works, all of which have disappeared over time. These experiences have been illuminated thanks to augmented reality and Snap’s custom landmaker technology.
By using their phone camera to scan the QR code on this Saturday’s print cover, The Weekend Australian Magazine’s readers will unlock a second digital cover, with a bespoke AR experience which interacts seamlessly with the physical edition and transports readers to the Louvre. To pay tribute to Champollion’s original vision, the 222-ton granite obelisk de la Concorde can now be seen in the centre of the Louvre’s cour Carrée through immersive augmented reality technology. With The Weekend Australian Magazine’s AR cover, readers will discover a moving, digital construction of the obelisk in the cour Carrée, brought to life via Snapchat.
Elizabeth Colman, editor at The Weekend Australian Magazine, said: “Partnering with Snapchat, which has been pioneering the use of AR worldwide, felt like an incredible opportunity to deliver something truly spectacular for our final issue of the year. The bringing together of Egyptian antiquities with cutting-edge technology at the Louvre is a fascinating story, and being able to exclusively offer our readers a taste of this magic with the nation’s first Snapchat AR cover, is testament to our focus on creating innovative, compelling ways to delight and engage our growing national audience.”
Tony Keusgen, managing director, Australia and New Zealand, at Snap Inc. said: “At Snap, we’re continuing to push the boundaries of creativity and explore how augmented reality can enhance the world around us. The Weekend Australian Magazine occupies a legendary place in the Australian publishing landscape, with some of the finest journalism and in-depth reads to be found in this country. It’s been inspiring to collaborate with the team on this deeply immersive AR cover moment, our first in Australia, which will transport Aussies to Paris through the magazine and Snapchat, this weekend.”
Donatien Bozon, director of Snap Inc.’s AR Studio, Paris, said: “Augmented reality is about technology overlaid on the real world. Our team works to demonstrate the creative, artistic and educational potential of this tech within the Arts and Culture fields, beyond the well known lenses for fun and self-expression that millions of Snapchatters experiment with every day. It was such an honour for us to partner with an esteemed institution like the Louvre on the “Egypt Augmented” exhibition, which unveils some of the mysteries of Ancient Egypt to the Museum’s visitors. We were also excited to work with The Weekend Australian Magazine, which is such a highly-regarded national publication, to celebrate this exhibition and bring a piece of the experience to Australians.”
Snapchat reaches over 8 million people in Australia every month, and a community of 750 million worldwide. “The Hot List” December edition of The Weekend Australian Magazine will be published in The Weekend Australian, this Saturday.
Source: Ogilvy
