CBS Interactive Pairs with Unity Technologies to Develop AR Ads for its Brands

Unity Technologies

CBS continues to push the boundaries of technology in its marketing strategies this week.

An article in MobileMarketer.com reports that CBS Interactive has teamed up with software developer Unity Technologies to help bring augmented reality (or AR) advertising to some of its mobile apps. Apps that might be covered are CBS Sports, CBS News, Gamespot and CNET, among others.

The news comes shortly after CBS announced strong growth in upfront ad sales for 2019, particularly in primetime. David Lawenda, Executive Vice President of Digital Sales and Sales Strategy at CBS, said “Through the introduction of new ad formats like AR, we are continuing to create meaningful moments for CBS advertisers to connect with audiences in innovative ways.”

Other media companies have tried using AR advertising in the past, with little success. But MobileMarketer.com argues that CBS could be doing it right this time by teaming up with Unity. Quoting the piece: “CBS Interactive could strengthen its pitch to brands by leveraging well-credentialed Unity to solve some of the technical hurdles and heavy investments associated with designing full-fledged AR experiences.” The piece also notes that 78% of respondents in a recent survey of ad agencies said they “felt positive” about the future of AR in marketing, and “more than half reported they were likely to consider developing AR campaigns in the next year.” That could spell good news for CBS’s bottom line.