Sanford Health Announces New Hospital With AR Campaign

Whether we’re talking about their new facilities or their marketing campaigns, Sanford Health is on the cutting of edge of innovation.  When Sanford announced plans to construct a new 371-bed hospital and clinic in southwest Fargo earlier this month, they did it with an Augmented Reality campaign that lets you view the new building from all sides.

Augmented Reality (AR) refers to a live view of something in the physical world that is augmented in real time by software to provide an enhanced experience.  In Sanford’s campaign, the technology was built using 3D modeling software and flash.  It allows consumers to print out an AR tag that they can then hold up to their web cam and watch the new campus rise out of the paper right before their eyes.  The effect is impressive.

AR is one of the newest trends in marketing, and brands are struggling to find effective ways to use it while it is still new and intriguing to the consumer. But as with any emerging technology, it is important not to do AR just to do AR.  A poor experience can be harmful to the brand’s overall image, like the buggy Target AR campaign used to launch the new SuperTarget layout in Fargo.  Sanford’s campaign is a perfect example of the right way to use AR.