The UK’s Royal Mail postal service has opened sales of its augmented reality (AR) postal stamps, global media reported on Sunday.
The Royal Mail launched the series to commemorate British contributions to the original Transformers series, with sales launching on 1 September, and will feature popular characters from the hit series such as Optimus Prime, Megatron, and others.
The company has included an app to trigger AR-powered immersive experiences such as clips from the original programme.
British artists Andrew Wildman, Stephen Baskerville, and John-Paul Bove contributed their artistic talents to designing the postal stamps.
Unbelievably excited to finally announce that I worked on actual Royal Mail stamps! Transformers stamps featuring art by @apwildman Stephen Baskerville and me! Available from September 1st! pic.twitter.com/NmBPDYIOjj
— John-Paul Bove (getting ready for TFNation!) (@wordmongerer) August 13, 2022
Matt Parkes, Director of Stamps and Collectibles for the Royal Mail, lauded the “substantial” UK contributions to the programme and franchise.
He continued, stating,
“Since the Transformers burst on to the scene in 1984, British writers and artists have made a substantial contribution to the ongoing story of the popular warring mechanoids – to this day many continue to do so and have inspired new artists to do the same”
Parkes concluded the firm would celebrate the artists’ contributions with a “stunning set of stamps” to allow the immersive content from “the original cartoon series as well” for the new campaign.
AR Campaigns for Big Brands
The news comes as numerous multinational firms tap the potential of immersive XR content to promote marketing campaigns and engage audiences.
Marriot Bonvoy launched a series of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in December last year to promote the global tourism industry, featuring artworks from three celebrated immersive content creators.
Doritos also opened a massive AR campaign from London-based AR and 3D content experts Poplar Studios and Niantic-owned AR firm 8th Wall with the new advert campaign, offering fans across the UK’s largest cities opportunities to win free tickets for the Strawberries & Cream Festival.
Global automotive firm debuted its all-electric Ariya motor vehicle in July with an ‘Electrified Art’ Web3 campaign featuring five British artists and partnerships with Meta Creative shop and TBWA/London.
