Tourism and Travel Sector Marketing – Aegean Airlines Inspires Traveler’s with a Fun AR Filter for their next travel destinations

Discover how AliveNow partnered with Aegean Airlines to create an engaging Instagram AR filter campaign that helped travelers discover their next destination in a playful and memorable way.

Inspiring Wanderlust with AR Technology

AliveNow had the opportunity to work with Greece’s flagship airline, Aegean Airlines, to launch an interactive Instagram AR filter that added a spark of excitement to the travel experience. The filter invited users to virtually explore where their next adventure could be, subtly suggesting the many destinations they could fly to with Aegean Airlines.

For travel enthusiasts, the AR experience was as fun as it was inspiring—blending digital creativity with a subtle reminder that their next favorite journey might just be a flight away.

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How the Instagram AR Filter Worked

The idea was simple but effective. When users launched the filter, it displayed a series of exciting travel destinations. Using a randomizing element, the filter “selected” which city or destination the traveler should explore next. This instantly created shareable, lighthearted, and engaging content that tapped into people’s wanderlust.

At its core, the filter cleverly highlighted Aegean Airlines’ expansive network of destinations, building awareness of the airline’s routes without overt advertising. The campaign encouraged playful sharing and discovery while strengthening brand connection.

Watch the campaign video here:

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Why AR Filters Work for Travel and Tourism sectors

Augmented Reality continues to be a powerful tool for travel and tourism marketing because it allows people to imagine and virtually preview experiences before booking them. For this campaign, the AR filter did more than just entertain—it positioned Aegean Airlines as the gateway to memorable adventures.

Some of the key benefits of AR filters in travel marketing include:

• Interactive Engagement: Users actively participate instead of passively consuming content.
• Shareability: Fun filters often go viral as users post their results on stories and feeds.
• Brand Recall: By tying destinations directly to Aegean Airlines, the filter created a strong brand association.
• Subtle Promotion: It avoided hard-sell messaging, focusing instead on sparking curiosity and interest in travel.

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The Evolution of AR Filters

While Instagram AR filters are no longer supported on the platform, brands today have even more opportunities to bring such campaigns to life across other mediums. Similar effects can be launched on TikTok and Snapchat, which remain hugely popular with global audiences.

Moreover, with WebAR technology, brands can deploy AR experiences directly on their websites or microsites, making them accessible without requiring any specific social platform. This allows them to integrate AR promotions seamlessly into broader digital campaigns, emailers, or even QR-code activations at physical locations.

At AliveNow, we frequently guide brands on which AR distribution method works best depending on campaign objectives, whether the goal is maximum reach, global accessibility, or platform-specific engagement.

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Subtle Storytelling That Works

What made the Aegean Airlines AR campaign stand out in particular was the subtle yet powerful messaging. While users laughed and shared their “next travel destination,” the underlying communication was always clear—that Aegean Airlines could take you there.

Instead of telling people which routes they fly, the filter playfully showed them destinations, leaving a stronger impression compared to traditional ads. This campaign successfully blended storytelling, interactivity, and brand relevance in a way that modern travelers love.

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AliveNow’s Role in Creative Tech Campaigns

AliveNow continues to collaborate with global brands and agencies to deliver immersive and innovative experiences like this one. From WebAR, Snapchat and TikTok AR effects, to VR, MR, and Gen AI campaigns, our work is guided by the goal of unlocking meaningful engagement at the intersection of creativity and technology.

For marketers and agencies looking to partner with a creative tech studio that can ideate, build, and execute high-impact campaigns, AliveNow offers the expertise needed to make these experiences unforgettable.

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Final Thoughts

AliveNow’s collaboration with Aegean Airlines is an example of how immersive tech can shape brand storytelling in ways that feel fresh and entertaining. By combining AR filters with a message that connected people’s passion for travel with a trusted airline brand, the campaign left users inspired for their next journey.

As AR and immersive technologies continue to evolve, the opportunities to engage audiences will only grow. At AliveNow, we’re excited to keep building what’s next.

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Important Disclaimer – While 3rd party branded AR filter are depreciated on Facebook and Instagram – a similar experience/game can be built or re-created for brands on Snapchat, TikTok or Web based AR