Esquire's Augmented Reality Issue: A Tour

Esquire and The Barbarian Group began brainstorming for the December issue at the outset of 2009. Not long after, animation and design studio Psyop was brought in, with the shared goal of bringing the world of augmented reality to the readers of Esquire in a way that had never before been done. The joint effort reflects what all three companies are best known for – their forward-thinking, cutting edge philosophies.

The Augmented Reality Issue has merged interactivity with the print medium in new way that adds value to and ultimately changes the reader’s interaction with the magazine content. The user experience was The Barbarian Group’s highest priority, and the result is not only a technological showcase, but a sophisticated experiment in the future of content and publishing where digital and print combine to form new experiences.

Psyop and The Barbarian Group worked diligently to strike a balance between the creative goals of the project and the limitations of AR. Psyop designed, shot, and animated all the AR features on the Downey cover, and in two inside features, Fashion, featuring actor Jeremy Renner and Funny Joke, featuring actress Gillian Jacobs. They then fed these elements to The Barbarian Group, who was responsible for taking these 3D animations and programming them into the AR interface. After downloading the software from Esquire’s site, you can hold those pages up to a web cam, and they spring to life in 3D. Turning the magazine, tilting, etc. triggers different animations, and different reactions from the on camera talent.

Psyop, known for their intense design aesthetic and beautifully rendered 3D animation, had to create a look that would work in three dimensions, and at the same time create renders compatible with the AR programming. Likewise, Psyop also collaborated on the dialogue delivered by the on camera talent, and directed the talent to react to the AR elements not created at the time.

The Barbarian Group worked exclusively with Lexus to create and develop the technology for their advertisement featured in the magazine, exposing the user to an experience that would have otherwise been impossible without combining both the print and digital mediums.

Download the AR app.