Focus Features is using Metaio?s new Junaio augmented reality iPhone application to advertise films such as ?9? and ?Coraline.?

Models of the characters from the films can be placed on top of the live image the consumer is capturing with his or her handset via the application. According to the company, Junaio was designed to be a social-networking tool.

?We really wanted to focus on the social community aspect for users to generate their own content,? said Lisa Murphy, sales and marketing manager at Metaio, San Francisco.

?With augmented reality, the future is mobile, because everyone these days has some type of smartphone,? she said. ?And to take the smartphone out in to the real world and bring in information and content, it?s taking the Internet and putting it in the real world.?

Focus Features is the art house films division of NBC Universal's Universal Pictures. The company acts as both a producer and distributor for its own films and a distributor for foreign films.

Metaio is a developer of software products for visual interactive services between the real and virtual world.

Junaio is a mobile and online platform that lets users create and share information using augmented reality and location-based content. 

The power of augmented reality
Consumers can place 3D objects, Twitter messages or Web sites into the real world and share the creations through social networks.

Metaio said that its target demographic is 18-25-year-olds and that the company wanted to focus on iPhone users because the device has the highest penetration amongst its target demographic in the United States.

There are plans to launch the Junaio platform on Google?s Android and Nokia?s Symbian devices in the hopes of penetrating the European markets, according to Metaio. 

Focus Features is the launch-sponsor of Junaio and has placed 3D models of characters from its films 9 and Coraline on the platform for consumers to interact with.

Coraline is out on DVD from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

Ms. Murphy said that a lot of companies are looking to advertise on the mobile platform and  that they should use augmented reality.

?With augmented reality, advertising is almost a seamless integration,? Ms. Murphy said. ?Focus and Universal partnered with us for the launch of Junaio and used it as a way for users to interact with characters from the films.?

Ms. Murphy said the platform is particularly good for advertisers to get their name out there in terms of movies because consumers can interact with the 3D models.

According to Metaio, there is a lot of buzz about augmented reality as a marketing medium, but that companies do not know how to use the platform.

?Most companies are not fully aware of the potentials of augmented reality,? Ms. Murphy said. ?So, taking it to the consumer side and letting them play around is the best way to let people know what it is.

?You can start with the business side but that only gets so far,? she said. ?This application can let consumers really get augmented reality.

?The tricky thing about mobile marketing and advertising is that you don?t want to be intrusive, and with augmented reality, the Coralline character is right there with you instead of a blatant message saying ?Here, watch this movie.??