Macy’s “Believe” campaign uses augmented reality in 2011

Macy’s has announced the start to its annual “Believe” campaign, which runs in stores across the country to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation charity, and this year, it will include augmented reality.

It has designed its campaign this year to follow the successes of the first three years when it brought in over four million letters. This year, it will once again be welcoming its customers to write letters to Santa and mail them to Macy’s to help the charity.

What is different this year, though, is that there will be “Believe Stations” in-store at Macy’s, where they can have their pictures taken with the animated stars of the campaign, such as Virginia and Ollie and their friends. This is accomplished through the latest augmented reality technology available at Macy’s.

The Celebrity Tree Auction at Macy’s is another effort that the department store is making on the charity’s behalf. It will also be sending Santa on his National Santa Tour, and on December 9, it will hold the National Believe Day to get the entire country involved. The campaign officially starts every year on the first Sunday in November.

This campaign received its original inspiration from the 1897 editorial entitled “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus,” which was published in the New York Sun. Beginning on November 6, every Macy’s location in the country started featuring Santa Mail letterboxes where letters to Santa can be mailed, and Believe Stations where the letters can be written in the first place (as well as stamped and addressed to the North Pole).

Macy’s will be making a donation of $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation for each letter to Santa that it receives.

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