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AR has seen a huge growth over the last three years, embraced by brands to create more engaging, more interactive, and more talked-about “experiential” promotional activities.

Consumers are happy to “augment” their world with useful content, information and offers, while establishing more emotional connections with brands. Mobile AR users are predicted to reach 200 million by 2018, which means this is a format likely to grow rapidly.From mobile apps for interactive catalogues to one-off publicity stunts in shopping malls to augmented product packaging ‒ the options are limitless.

Forbes predicts that the AR market is expected to continue this trend; it’s projected to reach $117.4 billion by 2022.

Here are some of the most inspiring and practical applications:

Augment’s platform for AR marketing apps

One of the most popular tools used in AR marketing is the prosaically named Augment. Augment really only does one thing, but it does it well. Clients create custom “trackers”, which are printed or on-screen icons, that are then scanned with a white labeled app to trigger a video or a 3D model overlaid on the real world.

It’s a very simple concept, but Augment’s execution is flawless. The company has landed clients ranging from Samsung to Paradise Wildlife Park. Their platform is versatile enough to allow for trackers to be placed in print catalogs, for the purpose of “trying out” furniture or other items at home, or on more novel objects like stuffed animals, in the case of the wildlife park.

US Postal Service’s augmented tracking

The United States Postal Service is a surprisingly tech-savvy organization. They were one of the first to adopt online tracking and shipment creation, and have kept their website and other online features on par with competitors in the private sector like FedEx and UPS.

At the end of 2014, the organization launched their take on augmented reality marketing. The USPS AR app let users scan collection boxes (the big blue mailboxes) with their smartphones and be treated to a holiday display ranging from dancing penguins to Christmas lights. The video ends with the opportunity to order boxes, stamps, and other USPS supplies.

Weather forecasts with real estate partners

That old standby of the local news broadcast, the weather, has shifted to include augmented reality in their presentations. Weather forecasters have long used green screens, a forebear of augmented reality, to add some interest to their discussions of heat waves and storm fronts. With Max Reality, a new software product by The Weather Channel, weather forecasts have been brought into the 21st century.

Max Reality uses AR to seamlessly integrate 3D imagery into televised weather news, bringing animated rain clouds, snowstorms, and even traffic maps and humidity graphs into the space formerly occupied only by a weather man or woman.

AR marketing analysts are already savvy to the opportunities offered by this technology. In an interview with EMarketer, The Weather Channel’s Bill Dow brainstormed ideas for direct product placement in this new type of weather segment.

Pokémon GO is still a rich source of ideas

Although the Pokemon GO craze has cooled if not ended entirely, its impact on local marketing will last for years. The monetization scheme of the app, in which users could buy lures to attract Pokemon to specific regions, was a boon for local businesses. Buying a lure to sit in one’s coffee shop or bar is the very essence of augmented reality marketing. It places a digital object in the physical space of the business, and invites players to come interact with the object… and patronize the business while there.

Augmented reality company Niantic Labs, creators of the game, were quick to capitalize on the trend. In July, they announced that they would partner with businesses to create “sponsored PokeStops”, taking money in exchange for spawning monsters at particular locations. Jamba Juice takes the trend even further, giving players 10% off a purchase if they show their game to the cashier.

Modiface’s augmented beauty marketing

Augmented reality makeup “mirrors” have been a fixture in Sephora and other cosmetics retailers for several years. Although they began by simply superimposing a splash of color onto a photo of a customer’s face, the technology has greatly advanced since then.

Today, companies like Modiface use AR to completely map the user’s face and re-render it as a photorealistic 3D object. This allows the mirrors to accurately show the precise effects of makeup and even extended-time skin care regimens on the face.

As anyone who has ever shopped for cosmetics knows, choosing between the vast array of products available is time-consuming and difficult, and there are no guarantees of success. Using AR, Modiface lets buyers “try before they buy”, simulating a full application of makeup or months of skin care in the space of a moment.

Starbucks AR stunt 

The latte wizards at Starbucks have been leveraging technology in the pursuit of the perfect cup for years. They pioneered the use of mobile pay, allowing customers to pay for drinks using their phones starting in 2011, years before the advent of Apple Pay. Over the years, they have also launched a number of amazing marketing campaigns that used the latest technology to wow visitors.

One of their best marketing stunts used augmented reality. In early 2012, the “Everylove on Every Cup” campaign turned every Starbucks cup into a Valentine’s Day card. Visitors used a dedicated Starbucks AR app to scan their cups and watch the design come to life, spreading wishes of love and the opportunity to purchase Starbucks gift cards.

Entertaining, educating … AR does much more

Universal Studios, as well as being a popular theme park, has always doubled as a way for Universal to market their upcoming films and franchises. The park takes in over 2 billion dollars annually, and it’s no surprise that the park loves to use AR and other cutting-edge technologies in their attractions.

At Universal Studios Orlando, park visitors can now engage directly with the dinosaurs of the Jurassic Park franchise, including the upcoming Jurassic World 2. By standing on a Hollywood star, visitors trigger an AR display on overhanging screens as a variety of dinosaurs walk up to investigate the humans. This is augmented reality marketing at its most impressive, the sort of experience that can only be achieved at a destination.

Here are some of the most memorable AR marketing moments of recent years:

1. Lynx: Angels Will Fall 

To promote the Lynx Excite fragrance (a brand also known by the name AXE in some countries), a two-day marketing stunt was set up in Victoria Station (London) and New Street (Birmingham), where commuters were able to interact with virtual angels that appeared on a giant digital screen when they stood on the signs that read ‘Look up’. The campaign won two Bronze Cannes Lion awards in the Outdoor and Media categories and was inducted into the Outdoor Hall of Fame.