Consumer delivery company Hermes wants to make package deliveries more personalised and meaningful by providing the sender with a way to connect to the recipient via a personal video message.

Using Hermes Play, which was created by the company’s Innovation Lab, senders will be able to pre-record a personal message which is then uploaded via the Hermes Send app, formerly myHermes. Working similarly to a QR code, a 2D barcode is added to the parcel label and the recipient is able to scan this barcode with their phone or table to view the video message. More excitingly, the video will be played using augmented reality – playing it on top of the parcel itself. All videos will be saved for 30 days and can be downloaded and shared on social media.

“At Hermes this year our mission is to make parcels personal again and our digital teams have been working hard to create new and exciting initiatives,” said Martijn de Lange, CEO at Hermes UK. “Hermes Play is a fantastic service that can be used by consumers to send messages to family and friends or by businesses for a more commercially focused approach. It’s designed to create a personal connection and make the experience of sending and receiving a parcel just that little bit more special.”

The feature will rollout to anyone using the Hermes Send app on either Android or iPhone devices later this year. Following this, it will be rolled out to Hermes’ retail customers, enabling them to add their own flavour to the service and offer promotions.