Abu Dhabi receives a Guinness World Record for Largest Augmented Reality screen

The Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) in Abu Dhabi received a Guinness World Record (GWR) title for the ‘Largest Augmented Reality (AR) Screen.’

The AR screen is part of a pioneering augmented-reality advertising campaign to promote the UAE capital as a world-leading holiday destination.

The campaign utilised the famous 40-foot digital billboard known as Piccadilly Lights in the heart of London, transforming the screen into an interactive augmented-reality (AR) experience, showcasing some of Abu Dhabi’s most iconic landmarks.

Ali Al Shaiba, Acting Executive Director of Tourism and Marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “The world-record-breaking augmented-reality experience took over Piccadilly Lights for two weeks, showcasing the UAE capital’s most famous landmarks. When conceptualising the campaign, we knew we wanted to do more than just bring Abu Dhabi’s famous sights to life at one of London’s most iconic landmarks. We also wanted to capitalise on the scale of the experience by breaking a GWR title for the world’s ‘Largest Augmented Reality (AR) Screen.”

The largest AR screen in London at night. 

Aside breaking a GWR title, the augmented reality screen was also been designed to allow passersby to play a starring role in the experience. Al Shaiba said: “By standing near the fountain in the square, people are captured by the hi-tech, on-site audience camera, it  transports them to some of Abu Dhabi’s most famous attractions - think family-friendly indoor theme park Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, wildlife haven Sir Bani Yas Island, and the stunning Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque -on the screen. Each of the capital’s landmarks has been brought vividly to life in London using innovative 3D augmented-reality overlays.”

The awe-inspiring interactive activation played at 10 minutes to the hour, every hour, for two weeks. It also provided people a chance to win a trip to Abu Dhabi, with Etihad Holidays. To win a trip, people were required to take a selfie of themselves enjoying the augmented-reality experience, share it at competition.visitabudhabi.ae, and ask family and friends to vote for the photo. The picture with the most votes won.

The timing of the campaign was a strategic move, it made it easy for the screen to incorporate a weather overlay that triggers weather-specific messages. “At this time of year, it is traditionally cold in London, while in Abu Dhabi the weather is wonderfully temperate. With this campaign, we wanted to encourage people to swap rainy, windy days for fun in sunny Abu Dhabi,” said Al Shaiba.

No personal audience data was collected or stored during the making or activation of the campaign.