Brief:

• Shackleton Whisky teamed with Apple-owned Shazam on a branded augmented reality (AR) experience that places smartphone users in a 3D version of Antarctica, per an announcement shared with Mobile Marketer. Shazam users can tap the camera icon on the app and scan a "peel to reveal" sticker on a Shackleton gift box to experience explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's 1907 British Antarctic Expedition.
• The "Discovered Under Ice, Served Over Ice" experience also shows users how the whisky was developed after the discovery of 11 intact bottles of Mackinlay's brew that had been left behind at Shackleton's base camp and sat frozen for more than 100 years. Master Blender Richard Paterson analyzed the liquor and created a new modern Scotch called Shackleton Whisky.
• Software developer Zappar developed the AR experience using ZapWorks and 3D Studio Max technology. The AR experience works with Android and iOS devices.

Insight:

Shazam became an ad-free service last year after Apple completed its $400 million takeover of the popular music-identification app. Shackleton Whisky's AR experience technically isn't an ad that appears in the app, but does demonstrate how Shazam can monetize the app by working with brands on immersive multimedia content that's integrated with product packaging. Apple in September said Shazam had been downloaded more than 1 billion times worldwide, and was used more than 20 million times a day. Shackleton Whisky said it's one of Shazam's first brand partners and that the app has grown into a beefier content distribution platform.

Shackleton Whisky is among the liquor brands that placed a greater emphasis on mobile and immersive experiences over fancy packaging to appeal to the millennial generation. Over the past year, spirits brands including Jägermeister, Pernod Ricard's Glenlivet, Rémy Martin, Patrón tequila and Diageo's Bulleit Bourbon, among others, have developed interactive smartphone campaigns that aim to prolong brand exposure and more deeply engage customers. These entertaining experiences are more likely to cut through the social media clutter and improve brand recall among ad-fatigued consumers than traditional ads.

Shazam integrated Apple Music, the tech giant's streaming service with 50 million paid subscribers, with its music-identification service. That means when the app recognizes a song, users are first given an option to listen to it on Apple Music. Shazam users can connect the app to their accounts on other services like Spotify or Deezer, according to Digital Music News.