What if a newspaper poster could do more than just tell a story - what if it became the story itself?

That’s exactly what happened when The Star newspaper teamed up with Experience Barnsley Museum and Bolton Museum to promote Tut’22: the Life of Tutankhamun, a free exhibition celebrating the centenary of the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb.

Instead of a standard print advert, the campaign used augmented reality (AR) delivered through the ARLOOPA app to create a multi-layered, interactive experience that brought ancient Egypt directly into readers’ hands.

The Challenge: Make History Feel Alive

The exhibition marked 100 years since Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon opened Tutankhamun’s tomb on 26 November 1922 - one of the most important archaeological discoveries of all time.

The curators wanted to:

• Promote the exhibition to a broad audience
• Make the subject engaging and memorable
• Connect printed media with digital storytelling
• Extend the reach of the exhibition beyond the museum walls

Traditional posters and press weren’t enough - they needed something that would spark curiosity and drive public engagement.

The ARLOOPA Solution: Interactive 3D Poster

Working with ARLOOPA studio, the campaign produced a giant Tutankhamun poster distributed with The Star. On the poster were images marked with the ARLOOPA logo - a signal that they could be scanned for augmented reality content.

When readers scanned these with the free ARLOOPA app they experienced:

📌 3D Death Mask of Tutankhamun - The famous golden funerary mask appeared to “pop out” of the poster in detailed 3D. This brought arguably the most iconic object from ancient Egypt right into the reader’s space.

📌 Bust of Nefertiti - On the second page, scanning revealed a 3D model of the famed bust of Nefertiti - one of ancient Egypt’s most recognisable sculptural masterpieces, symbolising beauty and royal heritage.

📌 Exhibition Video & eMag - A third page triggered an AR video introducing the exhibition, and linked directly to an online eMagazine version of the exhibition guide.

Rather than passively reading about the exhibition, audiences activated the history with their phones. ARLOOPA became a bridge between the printed poster, digital content, and the physical exhibition itself.

Why This Worked

1. Blended Multiple Media Formats

The campaign didn’t stop with 3D objects - it combined 3D models, video, and an interactive eMagazine. Users got layers of content in a single scan.

2. Increased Accessibility

Everyone with a smartphone and the free ARLOOPA app could participate - no need for a dedicated branded app or complicated downloads.

3. Amplified Engagement

This wasn’t just a poster - it was an experience. People shared their AR encounters with friends, boosting awareness and foot traffic to the exhibition.

4. Extended Value Beyond Print

Once scanned, the content linked to the exhibition’s official guide and video content, extending the user journey and connecting online and offline touchpoints.

The Tutankhamun AR poster campaign is a brilliant example of how augmented reality can expand the life and impact of cultural content. By layering 3D artefacts, video and immersive storytelling on a traditional poster, the partners created a cross-media experience that was informative, engaging and deeply memorable — all powered by ARLOOPA.