It’s Pokemon Go for Google search results!
If you have a newer iPhone, open Safari, Google “horse” and click on “Meet a life-sized horse up close” then “AR.”
Pretty cool use of augmented reality technology working natively in your browser. Unlike Pokemon Go, Jurassic World Alive or Taggar, there’s no special app or database download or AR-target required. This is all hardware on your phone and software in the cloud — and it’s fast, and pretty accurate.
This feature works with all kinds of animals! Based on some testing, you can try: wolf, horse, eagle, macaw, octopus, penguin, cat and dog. Don’t try “fox,” as it’s all Fox News.
Any phone with ARCore or ARKit-technology should work, including Pixel and Android phones.
This is only the beginning of practical AR uses embedded into our daily routines.
What I find most interesting about this technology is that I showed my kids, and they were like “Cool!” and then “what else can it do?” They now expect that anything they search on the internet can be broadcast via hologram to their physical space. Thanks Google!
Every one of these new technology innovations just levels up our collective expectations for what’s next. Especially when they are native to our devices (meaning, no special download or behavior is required).
NOW WHAT?
Whether CPG or services or travel or shopping, immersive experiences are coming to the mainstream.
For brands, we need to be thinking about augmented reality in a practical sense, as well as entertainment. You have video and photo files at the ready for creative placement, but does your brand have the 3D files ready to go when the time is right?
If you have a product, it’s time to start practicing creating really good 3D models of your product. It won’t be soon that a Google search for “Odwalla Juice” results in the ability to see an Odwalla bottle on your kitchen table, but you’ll want to be ready with the high-quality artwork and assets ready if an opportunity like that arises..
If you have a service, it’s worth doing some workshopping what kinds of brand assets you would want to have in 3D form that could be utilized for Search, as well as other VR and AR experiences.
Although I wouldn’t recommend going overboard right now making a bunch of experiences and assets that won’t be used, it is definitely worth the strategic exercise to think about the 3D assets your brand should create — and then practice starting to make them.
We’ll see a lot of poor quality brand examples before we see a lot of good ones. Now is a great time to start practicing.
GREG SWAN 