As the end of the year approaches, so too does the cold and miserable weather of winter. When it’s wet, cold and gray, who wouldn’t rather be in a sunny, warm location by the beach? That’s the idea of the tourism department of Sarasota County, located on Florida’s Gulf Coast, which will be running ads this January in one of the more dreary winter cities, London.

But they’re not just any ads. They’re Augmented Reality (AR) ads, wrapped onto the sides of the city’s taxi cabs. Sarasota County has teamed up with Miles, a destination marketing agency from Sarasota, to create scannable AR taxi wrap ads that spring to life when scanned with the Layar App.

By scanning the taxis, users will see a minute-long 360-degree video of Siesta Key Beach and will be directed to the VisitSarasota.org website where they can learn more.

“It is imperative that we stay on top of the latest marketing trends in order to establish Sarasota County as the must experience destination on Florida’s Gulf Coast,” said Seana Mincy, Advertising Manager for Visit Sarasota County. “Incorporating interactive mobile technologies, such as Layar, into our advertising mix helps us remain on the cutting edge of our industry.”

The taxi ads will accompany promotional posters throughout London, including at airports, public transit stations, restaurants and more.

“We believe traditional media is an important part of a marketing strategy, not as the primary messenger, but more as a tool to drive visitors to the digital marketing components,” said Neal Alfano, Creative Director for Miles. “To help bridge the gap between traditional and digital media, Miles incorporates mobile technologies such as Layar in traditional advertising to provide instant gratification and delivery of content.”

Gerard Lakwijk, publisher of several books about various locations in the Netherlands, has taken it upon himself to compile an all-encompassing anthology of the country’s past, present and future. The book, Beautiful Holland, features pages and pages of lavish photos and illustrations of the country’s scenery – all of which has been made interactive with Augmented Reality.

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Earlier this year, we featured Layar Partner Network member Magnetic London in our Partner Spotlight, showcasing some of the amazing campaigns the agency had launched in 2014. So far, 2015 is turning out to be a big year for them as well.

In February, Magnetic London was appointed as the official designers for Istanbul Chamber of Commerce’s “Istanbul Pavilion” at MIPIM (The International Market for Real Estate Professionals) by THEPARTNERS, the executive producer of the campaign. MIPIM is the world’s most prestigious real estate exposition, held in Cannes, France. To help advance the event’s theme of “Digital Revolution,” the agency heavily incorporated Augmented Reality with Layar into the pavilion experience.

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Over the years, one of the most common uses of Layar and Augmented Reality has been to look into the past with location-specific photographs or 3D models. Whether it’s the Berlin Wall, earthquake-damaged buildings in San Francisco or just a small town in a simpler time, AR is a great way to instantly travel back in time.

It’s in this same vein that the recently created ERA Girona experience was published as a Geo Layer on the Layar App. Those visiting Girona in Spain’s Catalonia region can use the layer to take a look into the city’s past by browsing for nearby historic photos.

The layer is part of the International Augmented Med program started by geographer Laura Olivas. It is funded in part by the European Union and by the Catalan government, and the city council of Girona agreed to allow the use of the photos. The name “ERA” is actually a clever play on words, as “era” means both a period of time in English, Spanish and Catalan, as well as “it was” in Spanish and Catalan. And of course, “RA” is the abbreviation for “Realitat Augmentada.”

More than 50 photos from the turn of the 20th century display Girona’s cultural heritage, including monuments, historical buildings and daily life. Users can search for “ERA Girona” in the Layar App to launch the layer. They only need to look around them with their phone or tablet to discover and view the nearby photographs.

Mouse over this image for an example.

“Every inch of Girona’s stones has plenty of history: the old town, the jewish quarter, the walls, the cathedral, etc,” the project says. “You don’t need Augmented Reality to feel the heritage of such a historical spot. But with ERA Girona, we have collected a series of old photographs, conveniently located along the city through points of interest, enriching your visitor experience letting you compare old photographs with the current status of the same spot.”

Mouse over this image for an example.

The project has gained the attention of the local media, inspiring a segment on a local TV news show and an article in a Catalan newspaper.

Layar partner Muzar has helped create a new historical lens through which residents of Port Jefferson, New York can look to see what their town looked like long ago.

As part of the Port Jeff Portal project, the city’s rich history comes alive with location-based photos juxtaposed against the current reality with content in the Layar App.

“Imagine if you could be transported back in time and experience a familiar place as it was 30, 50, or 100 years ago…the buildings…the people…the history,” the town said in a press release today. “Over time digital “walking tours” will be added and updated giving fresh new looks at different historical and chronological points.  The free mobile application available to most major devices will be the gateway into the past of Port Jefferson going back up to 100 years.”