The luxury brand is just one of several companies that took part in the image recognition-enabled ads that are included in this month’s issue. Mobile social media technology company, Pongr partnered with W Magazine to make the ads interactive for the publication’s readers.

“People have their mobile phones on them all the time,” said Wright Ferguson Jr., senior vice president of national sales at Pongr, Darien, CT. “Image recognition brings the ad to life.

“I really like when the editors get behind it,” he said. “They have a better relationship with the readers.”

W Magazine is a luxury and fashion lifestyle magazine. In its April issue, every ad had a mobile component powered by Pongr.

Pongr provides advertising technology products and services that focus on mobile consumer engagement via pictures, social interaction and brand media.

A sole a day
The Jimmy Choo ad features its sunglasses collection.

Here is a screen grab of the print ad in W Magazine:

Pages within the magazine alert readers regarding the image recognition-enabled ads.

Here is a screen grab of a full page ad that lets readers know they can engage with the print advertisements:

Here is the screen grab of the email:

The second link directs the user to Jimmy Choo’s Facebook page and the third link takes the user to its Twitter page.

Here is the mobile video ad:

Here is the screen grab of Jimmy Choo’s Facebook page:

Interactive luxury ads
W partnered with Pongr to provide mobile engagement that lets readers get more information on brands advertising in the issue, which is solely dedicated to shopping.

On any advertising page, readers can snap a photo of the ad and send it to Pongr’s email to receive a message from the advertising brand.

Consumers can receive a link to buy, a special shopping offer or video promotions such as behind-the-scenes or runway shows.

W advertisers include Gucci, Burberry Prorsum, Marc Jacobs, Bvlgari, Rolex, Chopard, Cole Haan and Ralph Lauren.

The technology makes the ad pages interactive via image recognition, without requiring advertisers to modify their creative.

According to W, the technology equips advertisers with an instant tool for monitoring engagement.

“Image recognition is a differentiating technology,” said Jamie Thompson, cofounder/CEO of Pongr, Boston. “Brands work to make their ads interactive with print.

“This gets maximum reach, works all the time and is available to feature phones and smartphones,” he said.