TRACHITOL AR

The person behind Van Tol Media’s business is Remmelt van Tol – a freelance digital strategist. The initiative established in 2013 has mostly been active within the pharmaceutical OTC sector. In 2015, van Tol also worked on a startup called Timit, which competed with Snapchat and Instagram Stories for venture funding.

Client

Van Tol Media

Sector

Pharmaceutical

Services

AR app design

3D modeling

Technology

Vuforia Unity 3D

Visual results video

Challenge

Provide a technological answer to a burning question

The client needed an AR advertising application that would perfectly complement the process of marketing sore throat lozenges. The augmented reality app we were to create was to use a specific image or object and then perform a series of actions in relation to that object. In this particular case, there were 3 target images: two different boxes and a stop button.

Access to additional information in the app was possible with the box of lozenges in front of the user. The box became a marker that would activate the AR advertising app. Furthermore, after scanning the box an animated character popped up and provided comprehensive answers to the user’s questions.

Process and project scope

Scope

The end product was an augmented reality app deploying a custom, random animation system and speech animation based on pre-recorded material. The model tracked the movements of the smartphone’s camera, positioning itself accordingly. Additionally, the software enabled in-app orders of sore throat lozenges.

Process

We worked in weekly sprints, providing operational functionality at the end of each week. We used the Kanban board because the project was not too complex.

Collaboration

As a freelance digital strategist, the client approached us with a clear goal in his mind and a neat action plan already prepared. He reviewed the subsequent builds of the AR advertising app, providing us with valuable feedback and insights at the same time.

Service

A user who had bought the lozenges and downloaded the AR advertising app from Google Play or App Store could reveal some extra features. After pointing the camera at the box an animated character would appear. He would stand in front of the box, ready to answer questions related to the lozenges or problems connected with throat infections.

Business value

An AR app that provides real-life relief

The application we created supports the client’s marketing activities through the use of new technologies. As the app can only work with a specific product, an increase in its sales has been assumed. As part of the promotional campaign, customers can use the product (sore throat lozenges) to launch the AR advertising application when they feel that something is wrong with their throat.

After pointing the camera at the button, the picture is recognized, an alarm siren turns on, the button animation starts and the user presses it by touching the screen. At this point, the user can order a box of lozenges straight to his or her home. This is a really clever marketing campaign. The app marks an innovative way to share information on a particular topic through interactive AR technology.

Instead of direct advertising, it pictures the manufacturer as the one who builds awareness of a specific issue with the use of new technologies. In fact, any industry that would want its customers to have access to additional information related to a product or a company and to present it in an interesting and unique way could find this type of AR advertising app very useful.

Technology stack

Take Your Future By The Throat

The AR advertising application is based on Vuforia and Unity 3D and is available for Android and iOS. It can be downloaded from both Google Play and the App Store. Such versatility is particularly desirable because a sore throat is one of the most common human experiences.