SuperHeroes has worked AR technology into a new mobile marketing strategy for the consumer electronics company.

The creative agency known as SuperHeroes has now worked a new augmented reality features into a mobile marketing campaign for the Asus electronics company, featuring a talking bird named Edward.

The app was created through different partnerships with SuperHeroes, including with MiniVegas and Magic Bullet.

Together, the companies developed an augmented reality app in order to be able to create a talking bird named Edward who will sit on the shoulder of the mobile device user. The app has become one component of a broader mobile marketing campaign for the 2 in 1 Transformer book by Asus. This AR tech based app uses the front facing camera on smartphones in order to be able to allow their users to both view and interact with Edward.

When looking at the phone’s display, the augmented reality image of Edward is viewed on the device user’s shoulder.

According to a statement from SuperHeroes, a company based in Amsterdam, “Using the phone’s front camera we developed a face and shoulder detection algorithm that determines the location of the shoulder, allowing us to perfectly position everyone’s favorite bird with arms right on your shoulder.”

Edward then acts as a spokesbird for Asus and provides the mobile device user with an explanation of the Asus Transformer Book T100HA and his vision of its use. Throughout the interaction with Edward, the user can watch him fly his jetpack, juggle, dance, and can even take selfies with the user. The hope is that this interactivity will draw the attention of the user and make him or her not only more willing to hear what Edward has to say, but also to retain it and act upon it due to the positive experience they’ve enjoyed throughout the use of the app.

The augmented reality app is already available for both Android and Windows smartphone users and is available in their official app stores. That said, according to Superheroes, Apple has boycotted the app and will not sell it on iTunes due to a conflict of interests.

Relatively few consumers are using their mobile devices to purchase products online and in physical stores

Mobile payments has become a powerful force in the retail sector, but many consumers remain loyal to conventional forms of commerce. During the holiday season, many retailers saw a significant increase in the number of mobile shoppers they served, but number of mobile consumers was lower than what many companies had been anticipating this year. According to data from Bankrate, only 14% of smartphone owners in the United States actually used their device to make a mobile payment during the Thanksgiving shopping weekend.

28% of smartphone owners made a mobile payment during 2015

Information from the Federal Reserve also highlights the relatively sluggish activity being seen in the mobile payments space this year. According to the agency, only 28% of smartphone users made a mobile payment throughout 2015. Mobile payments were particularly popular among millennials, who have become quite comfortable with mobile technology in general. Older consumers have been slow to embrace mobile payments, largely due to security concerns and basic disinterest.

Security continues to be a major problem for the mobile payments space

Security has been a cause for concern within the mobile payments space for years. Many consumers have expressed worry that their financial information could be at risk if they make a mobile payment. Retailers and companies responsible for mobile payment platforms have been working to ensure consumer information is kept safe, but sophisticated cyber attacks has made this a relatively difficult endeavor to accomplish. In order for mobile payments to thrive, security measures must be improved, ensuring that the financial data of consumers is guarded against exploitation.

More consumers are expected to make a mobile transaction as new services become available

While the mobile payments sector may have seen relatively slow growth during this year’s holiday season, stakeholders in the growing market expect to see more robust growth in 2016. Next year, promising new mobile payments platforms are expected to enter into new markets, where they will find a consumer base that is willing and eager to use their mobile devices to make purchases.