The Auggie Awards are here, and we’re excited to announce that 8th Wall is making waves this year with 17 nominations across 10 categories!

The Auggie Awards have been the most recognized AR & VR industry awards in the world since 2010. Now in its 15th year, the Auggies continue to showcase the best of the best in augmented, virtual and mixed reality.

With AWE 2024 quickly approaching, we’d like to recognize the WebAR projects from our talented partners that have been nominated for an Auggie Award. Vote for your favorites to help them take home an Auggie! Public Voting is open now until May 22.

Best Campaign

Red Bull – The Drop for the Cliff Diving World Series 2023 by Rock Paper Reality

 

Red Bull needed an innovative way to engage target consumers and build awareness for its Cliff Diving World Series event in Boston. Rock Paper Reality proposed and built a unique experience, bringing the hugely impressive, real-scale event diving platform to users where they stood.

Upon scanning an OOH QR code, users could see the towering structure grow before them and enjoy a spectacular, 3D animated diver somersault from the top. The experience was also deployed on social media via a custom-built Snap Lens and gave viewers a taste of the spectacle awaiting them at the real-world event.

New Messi Chicken Sandwich x Hard Rock Café - CamOn XR

 

Hard Rock International unveiled "The New Messi Chicken Sandwich," inspired by Leo Messi's love for Argentina milanesas. Teaming up with CamOn XR and Yes We're Open agency, Hard Rock launched an immersive WebAR marketing campaign to amplify the debut of this delectable new offering.

Customers scanned QR codes on promotional materials to enter the virtual world of Hard Rock Café, where they could engage in trivia, games, and snap WebAR photos with Leo himself. Messi introduced the experience, challenging users with trivia and guiding them through a treasure hunt for golden balloons.

In the AR kitchen, users witnessed Messi as a chef, interacting with ingredients, and capturing moments with him, including his iconic celebratory pose. Plus, they could explore details about the sandwich, the Messi Hard Rock collection, and even download exclusive wallpapers—all within the experience.

"Escape to a Malfy World" AR Campaign by Darabase

 

Darabase and Art Of The Possible combined their creative powerhouse efforts to bring to life Pernod Ricard’s Malfy Gin, by allowing customers to live the brand promise of ‘Escape to Malfy’. Through a series of immersive 360 dynamic portals that transport users to the Amalfi coast, Pernod Ricard gave their core audience an opportunity to enter the brand world - allowing the user to discover botanical groves, the coast, and Malfy products, all in the palm of their hand. The experience went live in September 2023, and was accessed via a QR code on 300K limited edition bottles.

Best Use of AI

Wol by Niantic

 

Meet Wol, your loveable guide to the redwood forest. Wol is a mixed reality experience from Niantic which features a Northern Saw-whet owl who has lived in the redwood forest for their entire life. Wol joins you in your space through an AR portal which opens a door to the redwood forest. As an AI-enabled owl, Wol is ready to have a natural conversation with you about the plants on the forest floor, the lifecycle of a tree and the creatures of the forest.

This limited release, browser-based experience was built to showcase one of 8th Wall’s most powerful features, Metaversal Deployment, which enables developers to build once and deploy everywhere — smartphones, computers, tablets, VR HMDs, and now mixed reality devices like Meta Quest Pro.

This experience was created in partnership with Liquid City who used Inworld, the developer platform for AI characters, to bring Wol to life.

Chronic Cellars AI Avatar Sommelier by Rock Paper Reality

 

Rock Paper Reality teamed up with 8th Wall, Inworld AI and winemaker Chronic Cellars to deliver a first-of-its-kind AI sommelier in Augmented Reality.

RPR transformed Chronic Cellars' iconic character — a 2D illustration of a skeleton called Purple Paradise — into an interactive and extremely personalized, AI-powered AR avatar.

The sommelier can converse, answer questions and present relevant information related to Chronic Cellars’ product line, which includes a portfolio of wines from California’s Paso Robles winegrowing region. From recommendations and tasting notes to seasonal recipes, audiences can engage directly with the AI-powered, deeply knowledgeable representative that fully embodies the brand’s personality.

The voice was cloned from Chronic Cellars’ original character using ElevenLabs. AI-powered NPCs are a big talking point right now, but as a trend more frequently associated with the gaming space. This application brings the concept into the commercial marketplace, opening up countless possibilities for businesses looking to elevate their branding.

CUT, CRUSH, DECAY: A Mixed Reality Dance Installation by Future Arts

 

CUT, CRUSH, DECAY is a multidisciplinary collaboration across dance, mixed reality, and sculpture design. Future Arts, alongside students from Cornish College of the Arts and Seattle’s top creative technology artists, crafted the 40-foot interactive installation. The intertwined movement trails from three dancers combine with the biomaterial title design made from custom grown mycelium (a mushroom’s roots) to tell the story of collaboration as an interwoven process: individual expressions emerge into a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Ground vinyl QR codes activate the augmented reality experience, which is geospatially registered to the physical installation using the Lightship Visual Positioning System. Generative graphics and reactive analog sound samples come alive through the web-based platform, 8th Wall, accessible through any mobile device. The movements of three Cornish student dancers were captured using AI processing of videos from iphones using Move.AI. The physical mural is made from baltic birch, neon acrylic, and mycelium-grown title design.

Best Societal Impact

Building Hope in Haiti: Using AR for Impact by Hope for Haiti and Niantic 8th Wall Developers

 

Whether it was doubling down on impactful, meaningful partnerships or showing up during humanitarian crises, Niantic witnessed the good that can come from thoughtful initiatives. The launch of the 8th Wall x Hope for Haiti Challenge was an extraordinary exploration that demonstrated what is possible when WebAR is used for the greater good. Teaming up with Hope for Haiti, Niantic challenged the developer community to build WebAR experiences that not only showcase technological innovation but also educate and contribute to meaningful change.

"Rise Together" by Camilo Medina and Steven Vinicio Jacho Tutín, winning the Grand Prize. This experience uses the power of AR to turn virtual initiatives into real results, directing donations to help build a life-saving hospital in Haiti.

“Voices for Haiti”, by Nour Gajial and Yanni Kouloumbis, winning the Mission Prize. An experience using the Inworld AI Integration Module in which individuals can chat with a fully animated and knowledgeable AI Hope for Haiti representative, best speaks to Hope for Haiti’s mission of improving the quality of life for the Haitian people, particularly women and children.

“Day of Hope” by Ilya Morozov, Alexandr Korolev, Ksenia Mukaseeva, Polina Tochenaya, Margarita Vanik, and Hanna Kukharenka, winning the Best Original Storytelling Prize. The gamification of this experience showcased the various ways Hope for Haiti assists children in Haiti while bringing the user to a donation page seamlessly.

Thámien Ohlone AR Tour by Santa Clara University + Muwekma Ohlone Tribe

 

Santa Clara University’s augmented reality tour, developed with the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe and powered by Niantic’s 8th Wall WebAR, provides an immersive exploration of the indigenous heritage of the campus. By scanning a QR code, visitors uncover the enduring history of the Ohlone people, juxtaposed against the backdrop of the 1777 Mission Church, an attraction that draws 100,000 visitors each year. This engaging and educational experience prompts critical reflection and deepens the understanding of the site’s historical significance.

CUT, CRUSH, DECAY: A Mixed Reality Dance Installation by Future Arts

 

CUT, CRUSH, DECAY is a multidisciplinary collaboration across dance, mixed reality, and sculpture design. Future Arts, alongside students from Cornish College of the Arts and Seattle’s top creative technology artists, crafted the 40-foot interactive installation. The intertwined movement trails from three dancers combine with the biomaterial title design made from custom grown mycelium (a mushroom’s roots) to tell the story of collaboration as an interwoven process: individual expressions emerge into a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Ground vinyl QR codes activate the augmented reality experience, which is geospatially registered to the physical installation using the Lightship Visual Positioning System. Generative graphics and reactive analog sound samples come alive through the web-based platform, 8th Wall, accessible through any mobile device. The movements of three Cornish student dancers were captured using AI processing of videos from iphones using Move.AI. The physical mural is made from baltic birch, neon acrylic, and mycelium-grown title design.

Best Location-Based Entertainment

The Fantastics Palastics by The Brand Father & Orb Amsterdam

 

To engage the youngest visitors at The Belvedere Museum in Vienna, Orb Amsterdam created “The Fantastic Palastics,” a web-based interactive AR game that immerses players in the museum's rich history. Young adventurers are encouraged to roam the palace gardens—once home to Prince Eugene's exotic menagerie—searching for clues and scanning statues to find the garden’s lost animals. The players’ mission: to collect and feed all the lost animals. Once collected, players can take a celebratory photo or selfie with the creatures amidst the beautiful surroundings of the Palace Garden. This WebAR experience uses VPS for Web to redefine the way young visitors interact with museums.

CUT, CRUSH, DECAY: A Mixed Reality Dance Installation by Future Arts

 

CUT, CRUSH, DECAY is a multidisciplinary collaboration across dance, mixed reality, and sculpture design. Future Arts, alongside students from Cornish College of the Arts and Seattle’s top creative technology artists, crafted the 40-foot interactive installation. The intertwined movement trails from three dancers combine with the biomaterial title design made from custom grown mycelium (a mushroom’s roots) to tell the story of collaboration as an interwoven process: individual expressions emerge into a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Ground vinyl QR codes activate the augmented reality experience, which is geospatially registered to the physical installation using the Lightship Visual Positioning System. Generative graphics and reactive analog sound samples come alive through the web-based platform, 8th Wall, accessible through any mobile device. The movements of three Cornish student dancers were captured using AI processing of videos from iphones using Move.AI. The physical mural is made from baltic birch, neon acrylic, and mycelium-grown title design.

Best Art or Film & Best Indie Creator

CUT, CRUSH, DECAY: A Mixed Reality Dance Installation by Future Arts

 

CUT, CRUSH, DECAY is a multidisciplinary collaboration across dance, mixed reality, and sculpture design. Future Arts, alongside students from Cornish College of the Arts and Seattle’s top creative technology artists, crafted the 40-foot interactive installation. The intertwined movement trails from three dancers combine with the biomaterial title design made from custom grown mycelium (a mushroom’s roots) to tell the story of collaboration as an interwoven process: individual expressions emerge into a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Ground vinyl QR codes activate the augmented reality experience, which is geospatially registered to the physical installation using the Lightship Visual Positioning System. Generative graphics and reactive analog sound samples come alive through the web-based platform, 8th Wall, accessible through any mobile device. The movements of three Cornish student dancers were captured using AI processing of videos from iphones using Move.AI. The physical mural is made from baltic birch, neon acrylic, and mycelium-grown title design.

Best Game or Toy & Best Education & Training Solution 

The Fantastics Palastics by The Brand Father & Orb Amsterdam

 

To engage the youngest visitors at The Belvedere Museum in Vienna, Orb Amsterdam created “The Fantastic Palastics,” a web-based interactive AR game that immerses players in the museum's rich history. Young adventurers are encouraged to roam the palace gardens—once home to Prince Eugene's exotic menagerie—searching for clues and scanning statues to find the garden’s lost animals. The players’ mission: to collect and feed all the lost animals. Once collected, players can take a celebratory photo or selfie with the creatures amidst the beautiful surroundings of the Palace Garden. This WebAR experience uses VPS for Web to redefine the way young visitors interact with museums.

…and we’re up for two awards for Best Developer Tool and Best Creator & Authoring Tool!

 

We're thrilled to announce that the 8th Wall platform has been nominated for the Auggie Awards in two important categories: Best Developer Tool and Best Creator & Authoring Tool!

Since our last nomination in 2023, we have launched new features that continue to make 8th Wall the leading augmented reality development platform for the web including Apple Vision Pro & Magic Leap 2 Support through Metaversal Deployment, GenAI Developer Tools, Hand & Ear Tracking, Shared AR, 8th Wall Simulator and more!

Help us take home an Auggie by voting here!