Manchester Gets an AR App

People in Manchester can now hunt for savings and discounts in the city – using their mobile phones.

A Heart of the City Augmented Reality (AR) app offers freebies and discounts at places such as Tiger Tiger and Papa Gs at the Printworks, retailers such as Nicky Clarke and Calvin Klein, and attractions including the Manchester Big Wheel, Manchester Ghost Walks and Manchester Museum. Tiger Tiger is using the App to offer free Friday club entry and 50 per cent food discounts.

The app uses the phone’s GPS to find ‘Hearts’ positioned at various Points of Interest (POIs) within the city. Upon locating a heart, individuals can download the offer and retrieve the discount by presenting the voucher on their phone.
Leading the campaign are the Park Inn by Radisson Manchester Victoria and mobile agency Gencia Media, who have also created a website to help the public access savings online.

“Over the past few weeks we’ve been working hard to secure partnerships and discounts which offer real savings to our customers and other visitors to Manchester,” says Radisson Hotel manager, Neil Raw. “The likes of the Printworks, Arndale, Spinningfields and Manchester Big Wheel are just a 5-10 minute walk from the hotel so we’re very happy to refer our guests to them on the basis they can now receive even greater value for money.”

To date, 5,000 people have registered via social networks and the website. Until 9 August, registrants will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win a hotel suite for a year worth £25,000.

To access the app, download the Layar AR app to your iPhone or Android phone and search for ‘Heart’. Within moments the Heart of the City App will be activated and the latest offers will appear.