The Bank of England introduced a new £20 note last week. The central bank is advertising the design of the new means of payment with a pretty AR effect.
How do you sell the design of banknotes effectively? The Bank of England seems to have found the answer in augmented reality (AR). The AR effect transforms the portrait of the famous English artist William Turner, which adorns the new £20 note, into an animated version of his 1839 painting "The Fighting Temeraire", which shows the ship of the same name that was instrumental in the victory at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805).
Snapchat and the corresponding AR lens are required for the AR effect. The central bank worked together with Snap's AR specialists for the digital banknote transformation.
Inspiring a new generation with new technology
"We want Snapchatters to look at the money in their wallet and appreciate this great painting," says Snaps UK boss Ed Couchman. "This partnership will hopefully introduce a whole new generation to one of the UK's greatest artists."
Famous US women on 1-dollar notes
In 2015, HSBC, a bank founded in Hong Kong, introduced the HKD150 banknote and the accompanying AR app to mark its 150th anniversary, allowing users to experience scenes from Hong Kong over the past 150 years. In 2018, Russia issued new 200 and 2000 rouble notes with AR effects and an AR experiment by Google from the same year saw 100 famous American women appear on the 1 dollar note.
Switzerland can also keep up: An app developed last year by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) answers questions about the new banknotes, as our Report shows.
Source: Mixed / Youtube / banknoteinfo
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