• by Tanya Gazdik , October 21, 2014

Bank of Montreal is breaking an augmented reality crossover ad in both Bloomberg Markets magazine's print pages and iPad app.

The ad, which launches Oct. 22, takes the well-known Lexus augmented reality stunt from a year ago one step further by actually being more than a light show but an educational tool on investing.

Bloomberg Markets reaches exactly the kind of audience BOM wants to reach, says Rick Kuwayti, managing director, head of marketing at the Toronto-based BMO Capital Markets.

“As a North American-based investment bank, we help institutions, corporations and government clients achieve their goals,” Kuwayti tells Marketing Daily. “Bloomberg Markets reaches senior institutional investors and corporate decision makers around the world, aligning perfectly with our target market.”

This is an audience that interacts with both traditional print as well as digital media, which makes it ideal for an ad like this, he adds, especially since it offers both formats (both print and digital.)

The bank is still considering what other publications the ad might work in.

“We'd like to see how this ad plays out over the next few weeks before deciding on next steps,” Kuwayti says. “One of the things we liked about this month's edition of Bloomberg Markets is that it is all about innovation, and for the last few months, we've tried to match our advertising to the magazine's editorial content. If we get some good feedback, we'd definitely consider running it again, and the same would be true for other magazines.”

This is really an attempt to make a print ad innovative in a world that is increasingly digital, he says.

“We've tried to marry the traditional print ad with a digital platform to provide helpful insight into market trends using our Chief Investment Strategist Brian Belski,” Kuwayti says. “It's unique in that it helps readers cut through the clutter and give them access to information they can use to make investment decisions.”