South Africa‘s leading cycling magazine, Bicycling, will be the first magazine in South Africa to use the Aurasma app to create a virtual cover in their July/August issue. Using Aurasma technology readers can watch the cover come alive using the free app available on iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones.
The cover features the lightest road bike in the world, the Cannondale Evo, and in the animation gear editor, Neil Gardiner, steps over the first cover line, introduces the bike and the gear section and then walks out of the cover ducking under a cover line and “˜bumping‘ another so that it swings.
“œMagazines are becoming more interactive by the day and as much as we are about providing world class content, we also think that magazines should entertain as much as they inform,“ says Bicycling editor, Mike Finch. “œThe idea is a simple, but effective, one. I think the readers will enjoy seeing and meeting one of the faces behind the magazine and have a chuckle at the animation.“
Head of New Media for the Lifestyle brands, Renato Balona, continues, “œThe great thing about Aurasma is that it’s a lot simpler for the user to access the content than other AR apps. There are no extra steps subscribing to a brands channel, it’s as simple as opening the app and pointing your phone at the cover. We might not be the first to use AR in South Africa, but we worked closely with the Aurasma team in the UK to make sure this will set a bench mark for others to follow.“
Combined with the Aurasma cover, the July/August edition of Bicycling also includes a 32-page Tour de France pocket guide that will also be available as an interactive digital edition, complete with stage profiles and rider highlights.
“œWe have some big plans for Bicycling using our digital platforms. The more our readers can interact with our brand the better they will enjoy the experience“¦ and that can only be a good thing,“ says Finch.
The July/August issue of Bicycling is now available at newsstands nationwide.
Download the Aurasma app for free from The App Store and Google Play.
