Pepsi and Papa John?s are sponsoring two mobile augmented reality experiences in USA Today, engaging readers with behind-the-scenes Super Bowl XLV footage.

Readers who pick up the Feb. 4 and Feb. 7 editions of USA Today can view a 360-degree tour of the Dallas Cowboys stadium, the inside of the locker room and listen to commentary from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. USA Today partnered with junaio, which is powering the augmented reality features.

?Our strategy is to offer enhanced coverage and features to our customers and advertisers,? said Steve Kurtz, vice president of digital development at USA Today, Washington. ?Augmented reality allows for unique and compelling experiences that take advantage of advancements in mobile technology.

?As phones and tablets become more powerful and ubiquitous, the opportunities will increase for providing information and entertainment that complement traditional coverage.?

Gannett Co. Inc.'s USA Today is a multiplatform news and information company.

Junaio is a mobile augmented reality browser that presents users with interesting content relevant to their location or triggered through images and objects the phone?s camera is pointing at.

Papa John?s
Readers who pick up the Feb. 7 edition of USA Today can view the USA Today Super Bowl Key Play feature.

Papa John?s is sponsoring the edition.

Readers can download the junaio application via Apple?s App Store.

Then, readers can click on the USA Today button to access the experience.

The Super Bowl Key Play feature is presented as an animation.

Users can simply point to the picture in the newspaper to engage with the augmented reality experience.

The viewer?s camera angle is determined by the smartphone?s position relative to the newspaper picture so that every user?s move can be studied from different angles. 

Pepsi
Pepsi sponsored the Feb 4. edition of USA Today.

The USA Today 360 Stadium Tour feature lets viewers find themselves right in the middle of the Cowboys Stadium.

As users move the camera around, they can see where the players enter the stadium, the locker rooms and the famous murals of contemporary art, which are located inside the stadium.

Pepsi is sponsoring the augmented reality experience

Readers can view the Cowboys stadium via their smartphone

Readers can view the locker room and mural

?USA Today and Junaio wanted to create a Super Bowl game coverage experience never seen before,? said Lisa Murphy, product marketing manager at junaio, San Francisco. ?To bring to life the Super Bowl game on top of the newspaper is amazing for the readers.

?Augmented reality is going to enhance more print publications by connecting the digital with the physical objects such as print,? she said.

Final Take
Here is a demo of the augmented reality experience