Thrasher Magazine and Aurasma Launch Comprehensive Augmented Reality Promotion for SXSW and Beyond

AUSTIN, Texas, March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Thrasher Magazine and Aurasma, the world's leading augmented reality platform, are partnering to bring augmented reality technology to the promotions around Thrasher and CONVERSE's five-day Death Match skating and music event at the South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) in Austin Texas.

Using the free Aurasma Lite app for iPhones, iPads and high-powered Android devices, SXSW attendees and skating fanatics can launch the 2012 Death Match video trailer from the promotional Death Match logo found on banners, flyers, T-shirts and posters. The video leaps into view on the mobile device or tablet from the printed promotional images. The video also provides a click-through gateway to a contest where every 100th person is chosen to receive prizes that include branded coozies, lighters, sunglasses and Death Match apparel from Thrasher and CONVERSE.

To see a short video clip of the Death Match logo come to life click here.

"Thrasher Magazine's been the final word on skateboarding, youth culture, and underground music since we sent our first issue to the printer in 1981. We're known as the skater's Bible, and from day one we've embraced the cutting-edge, adventurous spirit of our readership by giving them in-depth, insider's perspectives on their skate heroes like Christian Hosoi and Leo Romero, as well as giving bands like Metallica their first-ever interviews," said Tony Vitello, vice president of High Speed Productions. "Our partnership with Aurasma takes Thrasher's promotional engine to a new level, providing engaging, augmented reality that'll leap from these Death Match posters and banners onto our readers' mobile devices and tablets.This SXSW promo is just the beginning. We have more huge plans for Aurasma coming up real soon."

Presented via a partnership between Thrasher Magazine and CONVERSE, Death Match is a five-day event running Wednesday March 14 through Sunday March 18 featuring a specially created skate ramp and two music stages with more than 40 bands. Attendees to the free, interactive event at The Scoot Inn, at 1308 E 4^th Street, will have access to the global Team Converse skate ambassadors, emerging alternative bands and the local skate community in Texas. The event will also spotlight best trick competitions and open skating, and will once again be the only integrated music and skate event open and accessible to all during one of the largest music festivals in Austin.

"Skaters' passion for the sport and lifestyle extends to their thirst for what's going on in the global skating community," said Lauren Offers, director of marketing at Aurasma. "By embracing augmented reality, Thrasher provides its devout readership with a new way to engage with the sport and stay connected around the globe."

Thrasher Magazine has plans to build its own mobile app using the Aurasma kernel to provide engaging augmented reality features from its magazine pages. Soon, Thrasher's fanatical fanbase will be able to aim their phone or tablet at photos and logos in the magazine to see the pages come to life before their eyes, with videos of skating events, messages from top skaters, and comprehensive reviews of music and bands.

The free Aurasma app runs on iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S, iPad2, 3 and high-powered Android devices.

Helpful Links:

• http://www.aurasma.com
• http://www.facebook.com/aurasma/
• http://www.twitter.com/aurasma/
• http://www.youtube.com/user/AurasmaLite

About Aurasma:

Aurasma is the world's first visual browser – a new augmented reality technology that merges the physical world with the virtual. Available as a free app for iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S, iPad 2, 3 and high-powered Android devices or as a free kernel for developers, Aurasma uses advanced image and pattern recognition to recognize and understand real-world images and objects in much the same way as the human brain does. It then seamlessly blends the real-world with rich interactive content such as videos and animations called "Auras". Auras can be created for printed images, product packaging, clothing, physical places and users can even use the app to create and share their own.

Since its launch in June 2011, Aurasma has had more than three million downloads. Over 3,000 partners in markets including retail, fashion, sport, automotive, consumer electronics, entertainment, advertising and publishing are using the free technology in their campaigns, on their products or embedding the technology in their own applications. Aurasma was developed by and is part of software company Autonomy – an HP Company.

SOURCE Aurasma