• by Craig Elimeliah , Op-Ed Contributor, October 22, 2024

Imagine you walk into a coffee shop. Instead of a static ad for the shop's latest drink, AI-powered augmented reality (AR) glasses detect the time of day, whether you've had your coffee yet and your past preferences. It then suggests the perfect drink for you, showing it as a 3D hologram right on the counter.

This is context-aware advertising, and it is a game changer. Rather than interrupting you with generic, one-size-fits-all ads, brands deliver experiences that feel crafted for that exact moment in your day.

This is the potential promise of Meta's Orion AI glasses. They can dynamically shift the AR experience based on where you are, what you're interacting with and what's around you. 

Think about it: AR is an ideal user interface for AI.

For AR to succeed, AI must be the critical engine driving it. Without AI, AR is just another layer on top of reality. With AI, AR becomes a responsive, intuitive part of our environment.

AI gives AR its intelligence, the ability to understand and interact with the world around you, making the experience fluid — and almost magical.

Meta Orion is built on this premise. The AI doesn't just place objects in your field of view -- it knows where you are and what you're doing and anticipates what you might need next.

This means the future of advertising is no longer about grabbing attention.

It's about being helpful, relevant and integrated into one's environment.

Imagine the possibilities for brands with a campaign that adapts in real-time.

Your favorite sneaker brand knows you've been running more lately. As you walk by their store, AR shows you the new running shoes tailored to your needs. Extra-wide foot? It knows.

And the message doesn't just appear -- it feels like it belongs in that moment, like a natural extension of your reality.

The collaborative presence also has the chance to transform how we create together. It allows teams to manipulate digital objects in a 3D experience, meaning that you can have the same experience with the virtual content with a co-worker located across the country but in the context of your own room or office. 

We know that ideas come to life so much better when everyone can interact and build on each other's input. This tool could help remote teams fuel creativity.

I know it is still early days, and that I am extremely bullish. But this tech is coming fast, and if Meta's Orion doesn't nail it, someone else will.

It has been exactly a decade since Google Glass hit the market. Tech has gotten better, and AI's impact is just starting to be felt. 

This blend of AR and AI transforms advertising into something far more personal and engaging. It's not about pushing products but creating meaningful, context-aware experiences that evolve with a person's environment and, most importantly, their behavior.

This shifts the entire dynamic from interruption-based marketing to a form of advertising that feels like an essential part of a person's daily life.

Brands that get this right will not just engage; they'll build deeper relationships through immersion and utility, staying with people in the most intuitive, noninvasive ways possible.

Mastering the orchestration of these AI-driven, contextually aware brand experiences that turn everyday moments into branded moments without feeling like a hard sell might be the next frontier for agencies.

And we will all get a great cup of coffee to boot.