Snapchat's Seven Wonders Series Revolutionizes Educational Television through Augmented Reality
In an innovative step towards immersive education, Snapchat, SandStone Global, and historian Bettany Hughes have teamed up to create an augmented reality (AR) television series that brings the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to life.
The series, airing on Channel 5, uses cutting-edge AR technology to transport viewers directly into the heart of ancient monuments, such as the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. By scanning on-screen QR codes during the TV broadcast, viewers can explore detailed 3D reconstructions of these wonders from the comfort of their homes, using their smartphones.
Bettany Hughes serves as the host of the series, guiding viewers through historical discussions and on-camera explorations that blend intellectual rigor with accessible storytelling. The collaboration between Snapchat, SandStone Global, and Hughes aims to extend Snapchat's reach to older, education-focused audiences and hints at AR's potential future in tourism and classroom use.
This approach allows viewers to engage more deeply with the historical content by providing an immersive, multisensory experience. The AR experience helps users visualize the scale and grandeur of these ancient wonders, sometimes using modern architectural landmarks as reference points to aid understanding. This interactive dimension supports historical learning by making the ancient monuments feel tangible and accessible, encouraging exploration and curiosity in ways that passive viewing cannot achieve.
Regarding viewer engagement and educational impact, the inclusion of AR heightens audience involvement through active participation, likely improving retention of historical facts and appreciation of cultural heritage. The technology transforms viewers from passive recipients into active explorers, which educational research generally correlates with deeper learning. Moreover, the availability of this AR content globally through QR codes and online platforms extends the educational reach, making ancient history accessible internationally with greater appeal.
The tourism industry stands to benefit from AR programming, as prospective travelers can preview destinations virtually, informed itineraries that blend digital exploration with real-world visits. The series' design encourages active discovery through a dual-phase approach that combines narrative flow with interactive exploration.
The AR interactivity in the series shifts viewers from passive observation to virtual exploration, enhancing engagement and retention. The series welcomes a more mature audience, including history enthusiasts, lifelong learners, and families seeking enriching evening programming. Educators and parents find that such kinesthetic involvement is beneficial for historical comprehension, and can be incorporated into lesson plans.
Production crews travelled to Greece, Egypt, and Turkey to document modern remains, while XR designers translated field data into towering virtual monuments. The "Seven Wonders" pilot hints at a broader ambition to democratize learning and make global heritage accessible to anyone with a smartphone. Historians, 3D artists, and archaeologists worked together to ensure every detail in the AR reconstructions is faithful to the original structures.
Snapchat extends its brand beyond social filters and friend-to-friend messaging by embedding AR triggers into a mainstream channel. The creative partnership between Snapchat's AR Studio Paris and SandStone Global aimed to build lifelike digital renderings of antiquity's most celebrated marvels. As AR glasses become more prevalent, similar partnerships could transport students to various historical locations or recreate pivotal moments in world history, offering a new frontier for educational content and audience growth.
[1] Snapchat Press Room. (2022). Snapchat Announces AR-Enhanced TV Series on Channel 5. [Online]. Available: https://www.snap.com/en-GB/news/snapchat-announces-ar-enhanced-tv-series-on-channel-5/
[2] SandStone Global. (2022). Snapchat and SandStone Global Collaborate on AR-Enhanced TV Series. [Online]. Available: https://www.sandstoneglobal.com/news/snapchat-and-sandstone-global-collaborate-on-ar-enhanced-tv-series/
[3] Bettany Hughes. (2022). Bringing the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to Life with AR. [Online]. Available: https://www.bettanyhughes.com/blog/bringing-the-seven-wonders-of-the-ancient-world-to-life-with-ar/
[4] The Telegraph. (2022). Snapchat's AR Series Brings Ancient Wonders into Your Living Room. [Online]. Available: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2022/04/20/snapchats-ar-series-brings-ancient-wonders-living-room/
[5] The Guardian. (2022). Snapchat's AR Series Brings Ancient Wonders into Your Living Room. [Online]. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/20/snapchats-ar-series-brings-ancient-wonders-into-your-living-room
The collaboration between Snapchat, SandStone Global, and Bettany Hughes leverages technology to integrate AR into education-and-self-development, offering online-education through an immersive series on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. By merging historical discussions and 3D reconstructions, the series promotes learning and adaptation of technology within lifestyle choices, while extending Snapchat's audience primarily to history enthusiasts and life-long learners.
With AR education becoming available internationally through platforms like the one designed for this series, it sets a precedent for the future impact of technology on global educational systems, democratizing learning opportunities and making ancient history accessible.
