Life Layered: Mobile XR Products for Weather, Commerce, and Storytelling
Brian spearheaded the invention and launch of The Weather Channel’s first mobile XR product—an immersive experience that overlays real-time weather data and contextual ads directly onto the user’s world. Created in partnership with Unity, the product demonstrates how AR can enhance everyday decision-making through real-time, location-specific insights.
The experience debuted at Cannes, positioning it as a new form of immersive, utility-driven storytelling at the intersection of media, technology, and design.
Innovation: Real-Time Context for Real-World Moments
Utility: Why Extend Reality (XR)?
Unlike most AR/VR products built for novelty, this experience uses XR as a practical tool—offering real-time weather insights, branded content, and contextual commerce in the user’s environment. With 400M monthly active users, The Weather Channel is uniquely positioned to normalize this utility-first AR and lead in emerging Web3 and metaverse ecosystems.
Transformative habitual exposure to XR features for 400MAUs will help prepare our audience for the next-verse
Rich, premium features to draw both premium subscribers and registered users
Supports audience growth strategies and audience-building efforts for TWC Audience advertising products
Positions TWC as a leader in functional, practical applications of AI, Visual Recognition, and Web3/Meta-verse technologies
Increases opportunity for editorial and educational storytelling across platforms
Released at CES 2024 in Las Vegas
Designing the ultimate, real-time, data-driven experiential event for brands to experience first-hand.
Innovation: Advertising & Branded Sponsorships
Illustrate the right product for the consumer’s experience throughout the day, wherever they are. For example, if a user’s real-time or forecasted pollen counts are moderate to high, a relevant ad for allergy medication can be served.
Or suggestions for targeted Jeep owners or auto purchase intenders are provided forecasted recommendations for optimal star-gazing.
Sponsored safety prep and information positions insurance companies, such as State Farm, to be highly relevant to a user’s current or forecasted position. Helping both the policyholder and State Farm avoid weather-related claims.
What’s Next…
Following the CES launch in 2024, the team continues developing high-impact features including real-time weather visualizations, Unity-based UI enhancements, and environmentally adaptive advertising logic. Two patents were filed to protect novel interface methods that blend weather data, context, and visual targeting in immersive environments:
Interface Methods for Identifying Weather Conditions within a User’s View
Conditions, Context, and Environmentally Adaptive Immersive Advertising within Augmented and Virtual Environments
New AR Advertising Specs July, 2024: Brian is proud to have contributed to creating the first-ever, industry-wide IAB measurement guidelines for AR advertising with this incredible team. Available for download now.
Platforms: Mobile, Tablet, App, Wearables, IoT, Display
Features: Interactive data layers, voice, audio, graphic display, and audio ads