Google’s augmented reality tech might soon make the shift from interesting plaything to revenue-generating tool. A Google Goggles marketing experiment has begun, at least, and Buick, Delta Airlines, Diageo, Disney, and T-Mobile are all taking part.
Shailesh Nalawadi, a product manager over Google Goggles, explained this morning on the Official Google Blog, "They have ‘Goggles-enabled’ some of their print ads, movie posters and other media. When users take pictures of these with Google Goggles, they will be recognized by the app, and users will have the option of clicking-through directly to a mobile destination from the brand."
Nalawadi later added, "To interact with these experimental campaigns, download Google Goggles from the Android Market or get Google Mobile App for iPhone from the iTunes store, and look for advertising and products from companies in the video above and others that are coming soon."
The video provides a few visuals if you’re intrigued. The feat’s certainly impressive enough from a technical standpoint, and the list of partners works in Google’s favor, as well.
At the same time, it’s hard to imagine that Google will be too successful here. After all, advertisers struggle to get consumers to even acknowledge their ads’ existence. Asking a consumer to also pull out his (or her) phone, take a picture of an ad, and then deal with more advertising seems like a stretch.
We’ll see what happens, in any event.
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