Hands on with Meta’s Orion glasses: a glimpse of the future
Meta recently announced the launch of their new Orion glasses, providing a new augmented reality experience for users. While still in the prototype phase, the glasses, which are essentially a lightweight, optimized version of Apple’s Vision Pro, have impressed those who have beta-tested them. In addition to interacting with virtual objects overlaid on the real world, the glasses also incorporate AI technology. For example, if the glasses detect you looking at ingredients on a table, it can populate a recipe to use with them.
The Orion glasses announcement follows Meta’s line of smart glasses with Ray-Ban, which now offers access to an AI assistant as well as taking videos and audio.
Takeaways
The era of AR/VR and generative AI have created almost a new space race, where companies are fighting to outdo each other in innovation and speed to market. That level of competition has made this technology extremely accessible to the masses. The result? Heightened consumer expectations on the way they interact with the world and, by extension, your brand.
Brand connection is everything, especially in a competitive marketplace. The best way for your audience to connect with your brand is to give them an experience that they’ll not only never forget, but one they can reengage with consistently. AR/VR allows for interactivity that your customers wouldn’t normally receive, and an opportunity for you to personalize their interactions at scale like never before. Meta’s Orion glasses, and surely every copycat or elaboration that is sure to follow in the coming year(s), solidify that AR/VR is no longer the future – it’s the present, and it is a requirement for brands to adapt to if they want to succeed.
It’s an exciting time for marketers looking to make a big splash in 2025. AR/VR is a viable tool to help launch new products or take your customer loyalty to the next level. This is news you shouldn’t look at in awe – it’s news you should be thinking of how to leverage for future campaigns.
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Will Johnnie Walker’s Striding Man be willing to stab his friend to death?
Johnnie Walker has announced that it is releasing a limited edition version of its Black Label bottle in partnership with the release of season 2 of Squid Games. Central to this partnership is placing its iconic Striding Man in the now infamous track suit that the contestants wear throughout the show.
Takeaways
Now, as is called out in this article, it’s probably safe to say that the makers (and their marketing agency) probably didn’t think too hard about the capitalist critique of the show or even the role spirits play in it.
It also brings up a creative consideration that all media, from advertising to movies to music, now faces. Pre-internet, you could probably pull off a partnership and shrug with “Eh, no one will think about this too hard.” But now, thanks to social media’s inability to not dissect everything, partnerships need to be thought through far more in depth from a creative perspective.
Essentially, even with a simple execution like this, you have to think through the “world-building” you are implying with the execution. For this, are we saying that Striding Man is low on funds and needs the money? How far do we think this guy is actually going to make it? (Sort of hard to just stride across the trick-glass hopscotch game!) And of course, is Striding Man willing to murder for money (and to not die) in the Squid Game final level?
California’s Gavin Newsom vetoes controversial AI safety bill
On Sunday, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a nationally important AI bill that would have mandated regulations regarding AI misuse for developers, including making tech companies legally liable for AI harm. The bill, which overwhelmingly passed among legislators, has been controversial among technology leaders with supporters like Elon Musk and Anthropic, and objections from powerhouses like Google, Meta and OpenAI. Newsom shared that while he thought the bill was well intentioned, it was too rigid for basic functions and lacked consideration for varying risk environments and sensitive data. While this bill might not have passed, Newsom and other tech leaders are still seeking to implement regulations that will encourage innovation while protecting public safety. Proponents of the bill say that this veto is not a win for innovation, but a win for ‘Big Tech’ monopolies who seek profits without concern of ethical considerations.
Takeaways
While AI continues to advance faster than most of us can keep up, the United States still grapples with how it will regulate this powerful technology – and hopefully won’t wait until it’s too late. AI will have serious real-world consequences in a variety of industries; transforming the way we look at everything from vital healthcare decisions or education practices to everyday activities like grocery shopping and interpersonal communication. We are just scratching the surface of AI’s potential and even within the next year, we will achieve things we didn’t think were possible, making the need for guardrails urgent. We cannot leave the fate of public privacy and morality in the hands of billion-dollar corporations and must support legislation that prioritizes people over profit. In the modern world, we all work with technology, so we must keep a close watch on these decisions and practice our right to civic engagement. Hopefully, we will see both the state and federal government take action soon, and rest assured we’ll be watching when they do.
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