Game engine Unity’s huge mobile ad platform is now serving Augmented Reality (AR) ads. “Whether you’re an agency or game developer looking for new storytelling techniques, or you just want to experiment, Unity offers everything you need to unleash your creative potential,” according to Unity.
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“Most people don’t know we have a mobile ad serving business of massive scale, one of the largest in the world,” Tony Parisi, Unity’s Global Head of VR/AR Brand Solutions told Charlie Fink of Forbes. “By adding AR as a one-click option for developers we’re going to be a go-to platform for interactive 3D advertising.”
At the Fast Company Innovation Festival breakout session in Manhattan, which took place in the offices of a creative agency called 360i, Unity came together with brand advertiser Fossil and 360i to talk about its pilot AR-enabled ads. Fossil and 360i were looking for a holiday campaign where people would be encouraged to try on their new watches virtually to deepen consumer engagement with their products. The companies believed the ad, which needed to have both male and female watches, would best serve to get folks more engaged with their products without having to go into a brick and mortar store.
Charlotte Roach, Global Senior Marketing Manager, Fossil, told Mr. Fink in an email that their team is focused on innovation and marketing and his team is always staying up to date with the latest technology and trends. “We also have members of the team who have experience with AR concepting so had an idea of what was possible. Unity was selected to be our partner as they had the most effective solution for delivering a best-in-class AR experience at scale.”
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According to the Forbes report, ARKit/ARCore surface detection is built into Unity’s ad creation tools, making it simple for developers to place objects like a car exactly where they need to be to create a convincing illusion.
