BUZZ NEWS

Augmented Reality and "5" Chewing-Gum

Posted on August 5, 2009
Laurent Canavese

"5" is the last "fashionable" chewing gum launched in 2007 by Wrigley, a candy manufacturer. Through a few spots on TV, the brand has shared its Matrix-like universe. Below is the latest installment.

Below is another TV spot that is very reminiscent of the birth of Neo in the Matrix. Peculiar...

Now, "5" is helping us rediscover our senses thanks to an augmented reality DJ mixer application on their website.

So what exactly is augmented reality? It is the superposition in real time of virtual 3D or 2D images with real images. This can apply to visual perception (superposition of virtual images with real images) as well as tactile or auditory perception.

How does it work? Do you have a webcam? If you answered yes to the last question, then head over to the "5" website. Click on the "5 Mixer", print out the symbols and you will be ready to start.

You then have to move the symbols on the desk. Each one of them corresponds to a track, thus to a sound. The distance between each of the symbols as well as the angle allow for changing the volume and effects of each track. You even have the option of recording your mix and posting it on our own blog or on the "5" website.

As you can very well see here, here and here, this is not the first application that uses augmented reality. However, "5" adds a new dimension by mixing music in as well. This may seem to be the pinnacle for some, but it is only the beginning. Augmented reality is bound to be able to play on more and more of the human senses, which is why "5" distinguishes itself from the other applications at the moment.

"5" is a brand with a precise positioning: it’s target for TV spots is active youth between the ages of 18 and 35. It is for this reason that they highlight the sensual side of the senses. However, the application appeals to a more technophile audience, primarily between the ages of 15 and 25.

Applications using augmented reality are already available on the iPhone as well.

It is a shame that "5" did not push the concept further, it could have developed an application for the iPhone, especially considering it is a musical application.