The scannable advent calendar continues Engine Creative’s AR work with the entertainment weekly that has seen impressive statistics such as 200,000 page interactions in one week along with a click through rate peaking at an “incredible” 64.5% following its July launch earlier this year, says the company.
Published in this week's heat magazine (issue 708) the advent calendar comes as a double page centrefold, inviting readers to pull out the feature to place on their wall. Using the free ‘heat extra’ app available for both iOS and Android devices heat readers are able to scan the page each day from Saturday 1st December for the 24 days leading up to Christmas, revealing 24 exclusive celebrity videos to countdown to the big event.
Readers will be treated to festive AR content including The X Factor’s Union J kicking off proceedings on the 1st by rummaging in heat’s stocking, Nicole Scherzinger’s tips for a ‘shamazing’ Christmas, Alan Carr presenting his Christmas cracker pulling guide and JLS and Tom Daley singing their renditions of Silent Night and Jingle Bells.
Phil Christer, Creative Director of Engine Creative said: “AR provides a perfect voice for an entertainment brand such as heat to get exclusive video content across to readers. Being a reputable brand amongst the celebrities themselves has given heat unique access to a wide variety of music, TV and film personalities making the 24 bespoke videos for the advent calendar campaign possible. heat extra has had a brilliant take-up by its readers since its July launch, and with further development planned it’s only going to get stronger in the New Year.”
Lucie Cave, Editor-in-Chief of heat Magazine said: “Augmented reality is such a brilliant way of giving heat readers added value and bringing the celeb content literally to life! The 50,000+ downloads we've had already are growing week on week and we're really chuffed to bring heat fans this special advent calendar (who needs chocolate when you can have Olly Murs stuffing his face with Ferrero Rocher instead?)
This is a countdown to Christmas the heat way and shows off our unique access to celebrities. Every day readers will get a message, song, quiz, challenge, silly dance from a different showbiz friend of heat. Whats more - it's all free!”
