It’s that time of year again here in the Netherlands. The time when everyone dons their orange clothing and inflatable crown hats, hops on a canal boat and celebrates with music, friends and, of course, drinking! 

It’s Queen’s Day, or “Koninginnedag” as it’s known here - the Queen’s (official) birthday. Each year the Dutch Queen herself parades through towns in the Netherlands, and this year she’s appearing in the towns of Veenendaal and Rhenen.

The local paper in these towns, the VeenendaalseKrant, published by BDU with a circulation of 40,000 readers, has been augmented with Layar to feature some great digital content about the Queen’s visit.

Ads in the newspaper have been enriched with companion videos, and you can even watch videos and view information about the Queen’s planned route through the cities. But the best part? Access to a live video stream of the royal family as they parade through the towns.

Scanning one of the pages in the paper connects readers to a live stream from NOS, the Dutch public broadcasting service. Those standing on the parade route wondering when the Queen will pass by can simply follow her progress on the live stream.

This is a terrific example of how Layar can be used by publications of all sizes. The VeenendaalseKrant is a small, hyper-local publication, yet with Layar they can provide next generation multimedia innovation to their readers. The same technology which helped launch a print AR campaign to over 4 million people in India can just as easily and effectively be used at the local level.

The special issue of the VeenendaalseKrant is available now, and if you’re in Veenendaal or Rhenen on Monday, make sure you carry it with you to the parade! 

And for those of you in Amsterdam for Queen’s Day this year, check out the layer “De Blaffende Vis,” made by friend of Layar Menno Bieringa. Scanning the facade of the cafe De Blaffende Vis (located in the Jordaan) will display special messages throughout Queen’s Day.