benchmark report
airline marketing
flying the world
blippar cards VIRGIN ATLANTIC
IBERIA Iberia has launched an innovative application, Fly Around the World (Vuela por el mundo), which enables users to make a simulated Iberia flight from their computer, as well as control an Iberia A330 aircraft on their desktop or laptop via their smartphone. How it works: Aspiring pilots log on to flight.iberia.com from their desktop or laptop computer, then scan the QR code on the screen in order to synchronise with their smartphone or tablet device – which then serves as their controller (wearing earphones is also recommended). Users then choose their destination and have a choice of eight exterior cameras to capture the action from various angles. Realism – clouds, sky, shadows, the purr of the engines in 3D audio – is ensured by the use of so-called webGL technology. Other features include sunrises and sunsets – the light changes with
MARCH/APRIL 2015 ISSUE
the time of day – and and realistic sound effects. To make the experiemce more social, there is a feature for users to capture any frame of the flight to share on social media or download it as wallpaper. According to Iberia, translating the actual flight experience to a web-browser required a high level of realism, with the main objective to give freedom of movement, with several cameras delivering the best possible angles of the aircraft in flight. Fly Around the World is available in Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. Messages for the crew are in Spanish or English.
Virgin Atlantic recently par tnered with augmented reality and image recognition for a 1-month digital app Blippar scavenger hunt game for passengers travelling out of London Gatwick Airpor t. Augmented reality works when a mobile device is pointed at an image and the image ‘comes alive’ by displaying graphics that appear to occupy the same space as oneself. For example, IKEA has used the technology in a product catalogue that gave the viewer a 360/180 degree view of a room in their home, with the ‘vir tual’ ability to put furniture where they want. Virgin Atlantic used Blippar’s technology to invite passengers to take photos of themselves and have a bit of fun with the technology before they board their flight.
bags at check-in. The cards provided them with clues to help find five different images dotted around on posters (examples here and here ) located in the depar ture lounge and at gate areas. Using the Blippar app (which is free to download), passengers could scan each poster they found to see different images come to life on their device. Displaying various graphics such as an aircraft, a pilot’s hat, surf board, rollercoaster and an aircraft window, passengers could take a picture of themselves within the ‘digitally enhanced’ scene, creating a personalised postcard and share it on social media.
How it worked: Passengers could collect a postcard when they dropped off their
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EXPERIENTIAL SOCIAL DIGITAL TV, PRINT, OOH
