Audible sparks imagination with world’s largest augmented reality campaign

Launched on July 15, the out-of-home (OOH) campaign is the world’s largest augmented reality campaign ever, with over 60 million views worldwide. The innovative ad is part of Audible’s campaign recently launched the first ever global brand marketing campaignwhich allowed the company to express itself consistently across all markets and audience touchpoints. The brand execution explores how listening to Audible immerses us all in extraordinary worlds and changes our mood, perceptions, perspectives, while engaging us in routine, everyday activities. In this groundbreaking OOH element of the campaign, Audible uses innovative WinDOOH technology to simulate how the simple act of putting on your headphones can spark your imagination and transport you out of your everyday life.

Using all-weather 4K cameras installed at each location, DOOH.com, the project’s production studio, captured live footage of the view behind each screen. Using this, the team created a window illusion displaying that cityscape as a backdrop on the screen. The screen is then transformed into various fantasy worlds inspired by popular Audible originals and exclusives, such as the sci-fi hit “Hail Mary Project“and a classic reinterpretation of the fairy tale”The little Mermaid.” Times Square in New York, the flagship location of the ad, features a fascinating underwater scene populated with breathtaking jellyfish designed to captivate viewers amidst the hustle and bustle.

This is the first time WinDOOH, or ‘mass participation AR’, has been used on a global scale, running on screens for four weeks in the US and Canada and two weeks in the UK. The advert graces a total of twelve screens in iconic locations from Times Square in New York to Washington DC’s National Harbor to London’s Meridian Steps, using the latest technology in the OOH space.

“Our recently launched global brand campaign showcases the transporting power of Audible for our listeners,” said James Finn, global head of brand and content marketing at Audible. Tom McKenna, global head of media and marketing operations at Audible, added, “This cutting-edge technology is perfect for showcasing the diverse worlds that Audible brings to life for our customers around the world.”

“When you listen to a story on Audible, you’re transported out of your everyday life. We designed this campaign to reflect that experience through fantastical worlds, brought to life by WinDOOH,” said Andrew Phipps Newman, CEO of DOOH.com“Using advanced augmented reality technology, cameras were placed behind the displays to capture images in real time, creating the illusion of a live backdrop. Unlike traditional augmented reality OOH executions, GroupM’s WinDOOH does not require viewers to use mobile devices to view the interactive elements. Instead, cameras embedded in the displays combine high-end visual effects, graphics and animations with real-world video feeds. This innovation allows anyone viewing the display to experience the augmented reality elements with the naked eye.”