Virgin Atlantic & Monarch x Blippar

Virgin Atlantic & Monarch x Blippar

UK-based Blippar is a mobile augmented reality and image recognition app that can be used by consumer brands to add a virtual dimension to their ofine campaigns. For example, British charter airline Monarch in November 2012 distributed foldout maps to 55,000 snow sport enthusiasts. By scanning the maps with the Blippar mobile app, additional information and videos on the ski resorts served by Monarch would then show up on the smartphone.

The latest Blippar airline campaign comes from Virgin Atlantic as part of the airline's 'Flying in the face or ordinary' campaign. The airline took to implementing Blippar’s augmented reality technology in an initiative with the UK's The Telegraph newspaper. Readers of the Telegraph tablet edition, upon seeing the Virgin Atlantic advertisement on their iPads, were prompted to scan the ad with their smartphone (or other device) to see flight deals, as well as cabin crew tips and local time and weather information for their destination of choice.

Launched in early January, Virgin Atlanic’s Blippar campaign aimed to drive awareness of the airline’s January Sale. The initiative also It marks an attempt by The Telegraph to steal a march on its competitors by using more innovative advertising technology.