United Colors of Benetton has a quarterly publication for young people called COLORS Magazine. Each issue is themed and outfitted with occasionally controversial imagery, multicultural flair and an underlying desire to connect people through shared quirks and charming differences.
We don’t think all print magazines are going to die, and we hope COLORS is one of the survivors. The content sometimes feels a little too self-conscious, but we dig its global roaming eye and its interest in burrowing into uncomfortable or strange topics — like boys that like to wear skirts.
The company’s launched an Augmented Reality version of the latest issue, “Teenagers.” If you’ve got one handy, visit colorsmagazine.com and turn your webcam on. Various pages have a code that, when picked up by the cam, adds an interactive element to COLORS. (Like couples making out with alarming zeal.)
Watch a demo of the technology; better yet, nip a copy off the coffee table at your nearest Benetton store. Not sure how well this works, but kudos to the brand for taking baby steps toward making a pretty rag into a more compelling experience.
