Stories of HSBC lions roar to life in the bank's latest app

Ever since the Pokémon GO craze showed us the power of augmented reality, and how the entire world can easily hop on the AR bandwagon, brands have genuinely begun to explore the technology to find effective applications.Established brands are no exception.In its latest branding effort, HSBC has launched a new mobile app, "HSBC in Hong Kong: A Virtual Story", to bring to life the history of Hong Kong and HSBC.The app uses augmented reality to show a mosaic map of Central, Hong Kong over four different time periods. Users can walk around the virtual HSBC Main Buildings in 3D and see the  from different perspectives over the years.Interesting historical tales, such as the story behind the famous HSBC lions, Stephen and Stitt, will be told along the visual journey.Diana Cesar, chief executive, Hong Kong, HSBC, said the app was designed to allow the community in Hong Kong and visitors to the city to discover Central and HSBC through their mobile devices in an interactive and convenient way."The initiatives echo our digital strategy of creating simpler, better and faster banking experiences for our customers as technology and mobility continue to shape our lifestyles," she said.The team expects users to be more engaged as they walk through an interactive, on-site experience with the mobile devices.