In the run-up to Christmas, the Covent Garden area is becoming an augmented reality (AR) retail district in partnership with AR and visual discovery app Blippar and Hearst Magazines UK.
Today the activation launches across the one million sq ft Covent Garden estate in over 140 participating stores and restaurants including The Watch Gallery, Dior, Hackett, Sandro, Kiehl’s, Charlotte Tilbury, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, Ted Baker and Paul Smith.
To help Covent Garden’s shoppers discover the “perfect gifts” in the lead up to Christmas, Hearst Magazines UK has collaborated with Blippar to create bespoke interactive AR beauty and fashion gift guides unique to the shopping district. For the next six weeks, top style editors from three of Hearst’s brands - Esquire, Elle and Cosmopolitan - will be working with over 35 retailers within Covent Garden to recommend their favourite product gifting selection, which can be discovered exclusively through the app.
Esquire, ELLE and Cosmopolitan will also support the initiative via print and digital platforms, and each brand will host a bespoke event in Covent Garden during the festive period.
Duncan Chater, Chief Revenue Officer at Hearst Magazines UK, says: “Hearst produces exceptional content across its brands, and we are constantly exploring new ways to innovate and push our content through new platforms to expand our reach. We understand where audiences are, what they want to consume and how they want to engage. We are really excited to be working in partnership with a leader in mobile augmented reality, and one of London’s most famous shopping destinations on such a unique project.”
