From the streets to the top of the CN Tower – Toronto’s Most Extreme Augmented Reality experience

Toronto, June 4, 2013 – Astral Out-of-Home, in conjunction with BT/A Advertising, Ad-Disptach and CN Tower is launching an augmented reality experience for the CN Tower EdgeWalk.

Using the universal OOH AR App that Astral OOH and Ad-Dispatch launched last year called IRIS Augmented Reality, this innovative and dynamic campaign will allow consumers on the streets of Toronto to virtually transport themselves to the top of the iconic CN Tower and capture the thrill of EdgeWalk.

A unique and realistic AR experience was created using a 360 degree high resolution photograph along with computer generated 3D models, giving the impression of really being there.

“Using transit shelter locations and IRIS Augmented Reality, CN Tower delivers a taste of the thrills that await visitors”, says Debbie Drutz, Director, Media, Markets & Innovation at Astral OOH. “With a simple point of the IRIS app from a mobile device, to the transit shelter poster, you find yourself at the top of the Tower peering over the infamous EdgeWalk and viewing a 360 degree pan of the entire cityscape.”

While in the app, users also have the option to take pictures of the view they see and either add it to their camera roll, email it to a friend or share it socially on Facebook.

Launching June 3^rd, the campaign will take place in Toronto until the end of summer on multiple Astral Out-of-Home Transit Shelters throughout the city.

“This innovative augmented reality experience provides a way to continue the excitement that EdgeWalk has been generating since it first opened in 2011,” said Lisa Tompkins, Director of Marketing and Communications, CN Tower. “It’s our goal to inspire viewers to visit the CN Tower and experience EdgeWalk for themselves.”

To experience EdgeWalk AR right now, download the IRIS Augmented Reality application on your smartphone through the Apple Store or Google Play, launch the app and point your phone at your computer screen on the picture above.

Astral Out-of-Home is one of Canada's leading out-of-home advertising companies with more than 9,500 strategically-placed advertising faces in key markets in Québec, Ontario, and British Columbia. As a forward-looking company, Astral Out-of-Home has embarked on a series of green-and-clean initiatives to reduce its ecological footprint and actively participate in sustainable development.

Founded in 1961, Astral (TSX: ACM.A ACM.B) is one of Canada's leading media companies. It operates several media properties—pay and specialty television, radio, out-of-home advertising and digital media properties—among the most popular in the country. Astral plays a central role in community life across the country by offering diverse, rich and vibrant programming that meets the tastes and needs of consumers and advertisers alike. To find out more about Astral, go to astral.com.

CN Tower

Defining the Toronto skyline, at a height of 553.33m (1,815 ft., 5 inches) , the CN Tower is Canada's National Tower, an engineering Wonder and Toronto's must see attraction visited by over 1.5 million people each year. Toronto’s most extreme attraction, EdgeWalk is the world’s highest external walk on a building, a full circle hands-free walk on a 5 ft (1.5 m) wide ledge encircling the top of the CN Tower’s main pod.  416-868-6937. www.cntower.ca

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