Waitrose has incorporated augmented reality into its Christmas TV ad campaign. 

Using the Blippar app, viewers are invited to pause the ad on their Sky+ or similar TV service, and view AR content by pointing their phone at their TV. 

The Waitrose School of Magic TV campaign features Heston Blumenthal and Delia Smith, and first appeared during X Factor and Downton Abbey on 5 November. It has received 20,000 blipps from TV and print in five days. 

“The team at Waitrose and our agency are just so delighted to have been able to be one of the first retailers in the UK, if not the World, to have used a multi-channel approach to augmented reality,” says Waitrose marketing director Rupert Thomas. “Through the use of Blippar, we hope that we have produced a more memorable and engaging  campaign that will enrich the experience for customers and deepen their relationship with Waitrose.”

Viewing the TV ad through Blippar triggers a puff of smoke, revealing two large signs which users can interact with – one for Delia and one for Heston. With the music from the TV ad playing through the users mobile device, touching either of the signs leads to additional content – an exclusive Christmas themed Q&A with Heston, and a cake decoration masterclass video with Delia. The content also links through to a download of the Waitrose app.

Caroline Clear, planning account director at Waitroses ad agency Manning Gottlieb says: “Using Blippar gave our audience access to specially created pieces of longer-form content in an above the line setting. Waitrose has such a strong heritage for creating useful recipe content, and being able to distribute it in such a groundbreaking way brought magic into the nations living rooms, whilst playing to the growing trend of dual screen viewing.”

The ad is also on YouTube, where it received 400,000 views in six days. You can view it here.