Magazines Come Alive
Posted by Charisse Gallagher | Filed under Advertising, Hospitality News, Interactive, Media, Technology, Tips and Trends Series, Travel
I recently sat down with a relaxing cup of hot tea and opened up the March 2010 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. I was a few pages in when my eyes stumbled across a 2-D barcode. Hmm. Then I read this intriguing line: “Our March issue comes alive on your smartphone.”
Ok—hold the phone (no pun intended)—I just had to know what this was all about!
I grabbed my iPhone and within a few minutes, I had downloaded Microsoft’s Tag Reader app and was on my way to a scanning frenzy! I aimed the little cross-hair target at the barcode in the magazine. As I got close enough, it recognized the code and instantly whisked me away to a landing page with expanded information from the magazine issue, no actual photo required. There I discovered a behind-the-scenes look at the cover shoot, plus multiple videos, a guide of things to do in Shanghai & Hong Kong and much more.
I then began a treasure hunt throughout the entire issue, finding and scanning all of these little barcodes to see where they might take me. I enjoyed watching the video of the gorgeous red Bottega Veneta dress on as it flowed down the runway—something you can’t really get from a still photograph. I also liked how some of the tags acted as instant links. No more writing down that URL to look up later—just scan and go!
I love this new mix of mediums working together and can only imagine where this type of technological thinking will take us in the future. Perhaps we will be able to see a destination photo we like in a magazine, scan it and instantly book a trip. Who knows—the possibilities are endless!
