What you need to know:
- Verizon and Snap Inc. are launching the second 5G AR Landmarker experience from their 5G innovation partnership.
- Using 5G Ultra Wideband, augmented reality transforms a mural on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice Beach into an immersive experience sharing the story behind the National Wildlife Federation’s #SaveLACougars campaign.
Urban wildlife through the Landmarker Lens
The mural, painted by artist Louis Masai, features a cougar
famously known in Los Angeles as P-22 who crossed two of L.A.’s eight-lane
freeways to find a new home and sparked a campaign to set a worldwide model for
urban wildlife conservation. By opening Snapchat and using the Verizon 5G Lens
on the physical mural, Snapchatters can watch in augmented reality as P-22
breaks free from the concrete wall and crosses a land bridge to reunite with
his mate. As the experience culminates, Snapchatters can tap a prompt in the
Lens to learn more about the campaign and join efforts to build the world’s
largest wildlife crossing at the National Wildlife Federation’s #SaveLACougars
website, savelacougars.org.
“The Abbot Kinney Landmarker Lens is yet another
illustration of the vast array of consumer experiences offered by the
combination of augmented reality and 5G built right,” said Erin McPherson, Head
of Content Partnerships at Verizon. “The Lens allows us to use tech for good by
showcasing the work of a talented independent artist while bringing awareness
to the environmental cause of wildlife conservation.”
Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband is available in parts of 70-plus
U.S. cities today, with more being added regularly.
“We’re so excited that, through our partnership with
Verizon, we’re able to empower Louis Masai with a new medium to tell the story
of P-22,” said Jen McGinnis, Head of Distribution Partnerships at Snap. “We
hope that by raising awareness for the #SaveLACougars cause through AR, we can
bring people closer to the issue and help the National Wildlife Federation
reach its goals.”
“When I paint public walls, I never know to what extent the
message of urgency will be translated. This mural was painted in response to
the story of LA mountain lions, specifically the important story of P-22, so
that the future of wildlife can coexist with humans,” said artist Louis Masai.
“As an artist, I recognize the importance of working with brands that are
willing to tell these stories from a different perspective. This experience
reminds us how art can evoke impacting change.”
National Wildlife Federation’s #SaveLACougars Campaign
Nearly a decade ago, Los Angeles’ famous cougar, P-22’s
incredible journey to find a new home led him to make two perilous freeway
crossings – sparking a movement to build a wildlife crossing that will span ten
lanes over one of the busiest freeways in the world. Construction on the crossing
is planned to begin this fall and when completed, it will serve as a worldwide
model for urban wildlife conservation.The campaign has raised over $19.2
million dollars to date.
Verizon and Snap have together donated $150,000 to the
National Wildlife Federation #SaveLACougars campaign in support of the quest to
build the 101 freeway wildlife crossing.
“This incredible experience shows what is possible by
combining technology and art to fuel change,” said Beth Pratt, an executive
director for the National Wildlife Federation and leader of the #SaveLACougars
campaign. “By bringing Louis Masai’s mural to life and giving P-22 the happy
ending he deserves, we are reaching beyond science and into the realm of the
imagination. This partnership with Verizon deepens the impact of art, and will
inspire a whole new audience of people to act and help build a wildlife
crossing to save this mountain lion population.”
Worldview Lens
The 5G Landmarker Lens is accessible onsite at the Abbot
Kinney mural for Snapchatters with 5G devices. However, Verizon and Snap are
also launching 4G and 5G Worldview Lenses of the experience, versions of the
Lens that can be accessed from anywhere in the US, and available to all US
Snapchatters who want to learn more about the cause.
This is the second 5G AR Landmarker experience from Verizon
and Snap Inc.’s 5G innovation partnership. It follows the first-ever 5G-enabled
AR Lens, which features a musical performance by Grammy® nominated psychedelic
soul band Black Pumas at the New York Public Library. Lead singer Eric Burton’s
3D avatar dances to the entire hit song “Colors” in front of an explosion of
flora and fauna from the sidewalks of 5th Avenue. The 5G-enabled Lens is still
accessible onsite at the New York Public Library.
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