Elizabeth Arden is incorporating augmented reality into its direct mail campaigns, product packaging and print advertisements to help promote its new fragrance.

The company partnered with Aurasma on the mobile initiative. Elizabeth Arden is using mobile to promote its new fragrance Enchanted Taylor Swift.

?Forward-thinking brands like Elizabeth Arden are looking to direct additional excitement and consumer interaction to their products through engaging marketing efforts and point-of-sale displays,? said Jennifer Rapp, general manager of Aurasma, London.

?Younger, more tech-savvy shoppers are consuming more digital and mobile content than ever before ? and this helps set the Elizabeth Arden brands apart as an innovative leader in the celebrity fragrance landscape,? she said.

?By using Aurasma throughout the various facets of the marketing campaign, printed materials remain relevant ? and sought after ? even in a digital age.?

New technology
Elizabeth Arden worked with Aurasma on a past campaign promoting the United States release of the Wonderstruck Enchanted fragrance.

For this particular campaign, point-of-sale and product packaging for the new fragrance will include augmented reality experiences that consumers can access by downloading the Aurasma mobile app. 

Firstly, consumers are presented with a special video that they can watch, then they are prompted to on-screen options where they can access the Wonderstruck social feed on Twitter or shop for the fragrance on the Macy?s mobile site.

Additionally, from October 2012 through early 2013, readers can also use Aurasma Lite to discover special digital content behind Wonderstruck Enchanted print ads, which will run in nationwide U.S. magazine titles.

?The direct mail pieces, print ads, and store materials include a clear call-to-action so that consumers know that there is something special to discover through Aurasma with their smartphones,? Ms. Rapp said. 

?The information is public so we will continue to spread the word socially and online, and we anticipate Elizabeth Arden will be supporting on their end to encourage shoppers to try out the experience for themselves,? she said.

New technology
Augmented reality is a great technology for brands to use to drive user engagement.

The technology helps bring products to life and offers marketers something different. 

?Augmented reality is becoming increasingly more mainstream and applicable,? Ms. Rapp said. ?As brands and institutions create more exclusive and compelling digital content for users to discover on their phone or tablet, we are seeing greater public adoption of augmented reality. 

?Smartphone penetration doesn?t show any signs of stopping, and processing power for these devices is increasing exponentially,? she said. ?People are instinctually reaching for their phones to shop, play, and share ? meaning brands can tie their print and packaging more effectively to launch an immediate digital transaction. 

?In this excellent example, Taylor Swift fans are looking at printed fragrance packaging, ads or signage, viewing it with their Aurasma-enabled mobile device, and then discovering an otherwise ?hidden? experience which instantly rewards them with a video, leads them to shop for more products online, and directs them to the latest Wonderstruck tweets.?

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York