Vampire Diaries Augmented Reality Storescapes

The last few months, we bloggers have decried the gimmicky nature of most augmented reality marketing campaigns.  Mostly, the problem lies in their clunky implementations of the technology.  Printing out markers and holding them up to the screen are as old as watching LOST or wearing Crocs. 

Successful usage of the technology relies on the user to forget there’s even some technical jargon behind it all.  Did my do-hickey connect with the thing-a-mabob?  Who cares?  Give me instant gratification. 

While I don’t have a single inkling to watch CW’s Vampire Diaries (I haven’t read the Twilight series either), I do think Inwindow Outdoor’s implementation of augmented reality is brilliant.    None of the people interacting with the Storescape window had even heard of augmented reality, and they didn’t need to, they were amazed by the screens ability to make them invisible.  Though I can’t for the life of me think of why these people would translate this impressive Storescape experience into watching a TV show, but I guess failure to understand cause and effect is what marketers rely on.