Published on the 19/09/2013 | Written by Newsdesk
A council candidate is using augmented reality to communicate more directly with his constituents and encourage better voter turnout.
Independent Auckland Council candidate Rob Thomas has launched talking billboards around Auckland city using an augmented reality app called Layar.
Thomas is known for embracing new technology in his campaigns, having used bluetooth on his Ponsonby billboard in the 2010 local elections campaign, which saw him elected to the Waitemata Local Board. People in the vicinity on the billboard could enable their Bluetooth-capable smartphones to receive a short campaign message from Thomas.
This time round, Thomas has upped the ante, using augmented reality to bring his billboards to life. Each sign has a QR code that takes users to the free Layar app which then scans the sign and animates it before their eyes.
““These are the first talking billboards ever to be used for election campaigning in New Zealand. It makes a change from stuffy static campaigns, and allows me to talk directly with Aucklanders,” says Thomas.
“For the last five months I have been door knocking local residents across Auckland’s inner-city. Now each week I’ll post up a new interactive video dealing with issues I have heard from these Auckland residents.”
Thomas has integrated this technology across his campaign, from billboards to posters, advertisements and campaign t-shirts, saying that it should help to address the issue of poor voter turnout. Only 42 percent of Aucklanders voted in the last local government election and, with the average age of Auckland’s inner city residents being just 30 years-old, Thomas believes his constituents are open to new ways of engaging with their council and the technology could help to boost turnout this time around.
