The Symbiotic Relationship of 2009?

It’s no big secret: print mediums are hurting. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised to learn of Esquire Magazine’s latest experiment. The December 2009 issue features a form of augmented reality. It’s interesting in that the line become reader and user is blurred when this issue is used as intended. With Robert Downey Jr. on the cover, you can hold the cover up to your webcam, and he will all of a sudden pop up on your monitor and speak to you. Features like this are apparent throughout the issue. It is cognisant of time and date, and provides a level of interactivity never before seen in a printed magazine. A video demonstration can be seen below.

Do you think this type of technology, while still relatively expensive, can help justify print ads in the Real Estate Industry? Imagine taking a full page ad out in the paper that, when held up to your webcam, suddenly and mysteriously produces an image of your company’s president speaking straight to the consumer. As you rotate the physical ad, the president delivers different messages in front of different homes in different locations. Would you like to try this out? I’d love to hear your thoughts.