Over Christmas, anyone stopping by a McDonald’s outlet in Britain could have had a little fun with their cellphone.
The fast-food chain rolled out an augmented reality marketing campaign. Customers could hold up their phone, take a picture, decorate the scene with virtual lights, reindeer, trees and snowmen courtesy of McDonald’s-supplied software, then share their creation on social media.
During the holiday, 40,000 people tapped into the concept, and the level of engagement exceeded what the restaurants get from conventional TV or print advertising, according to Darabase, the London-based company that worked with McDonald’s and two advertising agencies to create the campaign.
On Tuesday, Darabase is launching in the North American market from an office in Toronto, pitching real estate owners on the potential for making money on their property digital rights, and helping advertisers build expertise in augmented reality campaigns the company said already attract two billion consumers around the world each month.
Darabase’s business is based on giving owners of office buildings, malls or homes a place to register their digital rights, then profit from future advertising on the buildings that is visible on cellphones or next generation devices such as smart glasses. The company created the first global property digital rights inventory registry, branded as darabase.io
“Augmented reality isn’t just a future concept – it’s a present reality unfolding at scale in Canada,” said Peter Pinfold, the chief executive officer at Darabase Canada, in a press release. “Property digital rights play a pivotal role in protecting property owners’ existing assets while simultaneously offering an avenue for new, passive income streams.”
Toronto-based venture capital firm GroundBreak Ventures, a fund manager that focuses on real estate technology, is investing in Darabase’s Canadian platform.
As part of its Canadian launch, Darabase named two former Ontario politicians – ex-premier Mike Harris, now senior business adviser at law firm Fasken, and onetime cabinet minister David Tsubouchi – to its Canadian advisory board. In a news release, Mr. Harris said: “Property digital rights aren’t just an innovative concept for the future, they support the foundations for innovation in the here and now.”
Darabase’s pitch to property owners is focused on both protecting their digital rights and bringing in new revenue. The company said once a client registers its property digital rights, they can give permission for what types of digital content can or cannot be displayed at their locations.
“The Darabase platform is an ingenious new approach that not only opens up a new revenue stream for property owners but also reshapes how asset value is perceived and calculated,” said Dan Mathieson, former chair of the Municipal Property Assessment Corp. and ex-mayor of Stratford, Ont., in a news release.
Andrew Willis