Adidas Augmented Reality

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsTxpouPCMc[/youtube]

adidas Originals is taking a big step further into the future man! They’ve created a virtual 3D world called the ‘adidas Originals Neighborhood’! It expands out of a real-world collection of sneakers – the adidas Originals Augmented Reality (AR) Game Pack. How it works is that the Neighbourhood is avirtual recreation of a neighborhood setting which will be the backdrop of the brand’s 2010 ‘Celebrate Originality’ advertising campaign. This special sneaker pack will be available from January 2010 onwards and adidas says ‘will allow fans to go inside the Neighborhood to discover the streets where true adidas originality lives’. Crazy awesome or scary?

The AR Game Pack has a revolutionary range of five iconic adidas Originals sneakers like the Superstar, Stan Smith, Forum, Nizza and Samba and each have been designed to include an ‘Augmented Reality’ code on the tongue of the shoe. If you have 2 pieces of apparel which contain codes on the sleeve then you’re good to go as it completes the offer. Get this: owners of these products will be able to hold their shoe in front of a computer web cam, once the special code on the tongue is recognised by their advanced AR technology, the 3D adidas Originals Neighborhood will actually unfold, as if it was coming out of the real shoe and celebrity friends of the Trefoil brand will appear to greet fans and introduce them to the experience.

In addition to the sneakers being the “key” to open up the Neighborhood, they also become the controllers which fans can use to play a series of interactive games within this virtual hood’.

Throughout the SS10 season adidas Originals will release 3 AR games within their virtual hood’ to entertain you adidas fans so it would keep you coming back. The first experience will launch on 9 February 2010 which will feature a game inspired by the adidas Originals Star Warsâ„¢ collection! During this game, fans will be able to fire blue paint balloons at Stormtroopers who are emerging from and ducking behind buildings and other obstacles on one street corner of the Neighborhood. The Stormtroopers will be firing back using their laser blasters and the goal of this fun and simple game is to hit them more times than they hit you.

The second game to launch, which will be exactly a month apart will have a skateboarding theme inline with adidas Originals rich skate history. This game gives users the ability to take a hair-raising ride through the Neighborhood while scoring points by doing tricks and avoiding pitfalls. The final game to be released in April will present yet another point of technological innovation by introducing the dimension of sound. Consumers will be able to manipulate musical elements like a DJ using their shoe. After completing each game, participants will be able to download AR-generated “trophies” and become eligible to win larger prizes.

To give the sneaker community a taste of the experience, adidas Originals has made a printable code available to everyone on their website. This “teaser code” will merely give consumers access to a limited experience because the the full experience will be accessible by owners of the shoes only. The site will also give details on where the actual AR Game Pack can be purchased within the various countries.

Later in the year, adidas Originals will continue down this path of innovation with the launch of a first-to-market iPhone application that also uses advanced technology that has never before been leveraged in the footwear and apparel channel. adidas is the future!

To try out the Neighbourhood, log on to www.adidas.com/originals/ARneighborhood. Remember! Full access is only for those who buy the sneakers!