The University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, has started making use of Augmented Reality and Interactive Print to create an enhanced experience for potential students when viewing the school’s recruitment materials.

Scanning the pages of its latest recruitment marketing publication unlocks videos, photos and links about student life, residence, and tips for applying. It’s a great way for potential students to better engage with the materials and learn more about the school before applying.

“Our goal is to create a personal connection while demonstrating the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of the University of Waterloo, and also provide a glimpse of campus, student life, and our strong academic reputation,” says Lisa Brackenridge, Manager of Digital Communications for the school’s registrar.

The idea to use Layar grew out of a class project in which Digital Arts Communications students worked with the school’s Marketing and Undergraduate Recruitment Office on a class project to assess the existing self-guided campus tour. By gathering interviews, creating personas, prototyping and testing, the students developed cases for using Augmented Reality to add a new dimension to the print marketing assets.

“We used this as a spring-board to utilizing Layar to add a digital experience to our viewbooks and faculty brochures,” says Brackenridge. “At Waterloo, we are focused on experiential learning opportunities, and this turned out to be a learning opportunity for our students and our staff at the University.”

To add another level to their efforts, University of Waterloo created unique campaigns for users in the Ontario area and those outside of the area. For those in the area, many calls-to-action encourage users to visit for a campus tour, while those not in Ontario are urged to connect with a recruitment specialist.

“Augmented reality is the next advancement in experiential communication,” says Brackenridge. “By creating a link between our print and digital content, we hope to maintain a competitive advantage and reinforce the University of Waterloo’s innovative reputation.”

Click here to have a look at how the University of Waterloo has enhanced its recruitment materials and give it a try for yourself.