Outstanding Interactive Application

Targeting the increasingly tech-savvy portion of its demographic, Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater (VSPC) launched an innovative 3D tour in March 2011 and became the first U.S. destination to market itself using Augmented Reality (AR). Major goals of the high-tech tour included: (1) Previewing the destination’s natural and cultural attractions with a fun, interactive experience that potential visitors could engage with at home; (2) Capturing St. Pete/Clearwater’s progressive, exciting character and making it stand out from competing destinations. In the “Two Treasures 3D Tour,” users explore two key elements of the area – award-winning beaches and world-class museums – in a way that’s much more powerful than a conventional travel brochure. Users launch the AR tour by placing a printed “marker” in front of their computer webcam. Almost instantly, a 3D scene pops up and extends out from the screen, a signpost serving as navigation to the five featured places. Beach stops include family-friendly Fort De Soto Park, pristine Caladesi Island State Park and famous Clearwater Beach. Museum stops include the colorful new Chihuly Collection and the iconic Dali Museum. At each stop, clickable icons reveal pop-up boxes with fun facts, photos, travel tips and links to more information. Miles partnered with Digital Frontiers Media to develop the AR experience. Thousands have engaged with it on VisitStPeteClearwater.com, and the YouTube video demonstrating the experience has generated additional exposure. The video is posted or linked to on travel, business and technology websites around the world, including INC.com and Travolution.

Contributors:

VP:	Nate Huff
Account Director:	Andrea Evans
Sr. Editor:	Melissa Bartalos
Art Director:	Angie Miller
Web Developer:	Stephen Barker
	Digital Frontiers Media

MILES MEDIA

Location: US