Hearst Magazines UK, one of the largest magazine publications in the UK, is working to bring augmented reality to the magazine business. The publisher has partnered with Zappar, makers of one of the world’s most powerful augmented reality mobile applications of the same name. AR technology has been gaining traction in the print business lately, especially where magazines are concerned. Magazines have long been a popular form of media and are one aspect of the print industry that has fared well in the advent of technology.
Hearst Magazines, owner of Cosmopolitan and Harper’s Bazaar, will be embedding the covers of their popular magazines with augmented reality displays. These displays can be activated using Zappar’s mobile app. The content will be specific for each publication, with Cosmopolitan’s pertaining to the magazine’s Ultimate Women of the Year Awards and Harper’s Bazaar’s showing behind-the-scenes footage of a photo shoot.
The partnership between both companies is one of the first of its kind. The print industry is becoming increasingly interested in augmented reality, which has led publishers to team with technology companies to adopt new tools that will help them survive the age of technology. Thus far, consumers have responded well to efforts to make technology a more tangible part of magazines, especially since such endeavors enable them to make use of their new mobile gadgetry.