Moccona is giving romantics a little help this Valentine’s Day with the launch of the free ‘Go Somewhere Special’ application, for iPhone users who are heading out on a date on February 14th.

The iPhone application encourages people to embrace more romance and add an element of mystery when inviting their partner or a special someone on a date this Valentine’s Day. Through the use of augmented reality technology, the app will guide the chosen recipient to the date location with a trail of on-screen candles inside Moccona jars in real-time street view using the iPhone camera.

Augmented reality combines the real and digital world to create an interactive view of reality, using computer-generated sensory input through graphics or sound. Through the iPhone application, it appears as though digital elements are interacting with the real world.

“We wanted to create an experience that would inspire people to embrace more romance in their lives – and obviously Valentine’s Day is the perfect time. The app was inspired by our current Moccona television ad where a young woman leads her amore to a secret rendezvous location using a trail of candles in Moccona jars.

“Adding a special touch to the beginning of your date – like a candle-lit invitation is a reminder that even a small gesture can inspire romance. It can even be as simple as taking a moment for a cup of coffee with someone special,” says Hilary Pulver, Marketing Director for Sara Lee Retail Coffee & Tea.

To download the free application, head to the Moccona Romantics Facebook page and hit the ‘app’ tab where you will be directed to the iTunes store. The Facebook page is a great place for coffee lovers to share their romantic stories and ideas, discuss coffee and more. Moccona has already inspired conversation around Valentine’s Day with great suggestions for gifts and how to make the most of the special occasion.

A step-by-step guide from Moccona for maximum romance with the free app:
To invite a date:
· Download the application via the tab on the ‘Moccona Romantics’ Facebook page. Check out the helpful hints on the Facebook page!
· Once the download is complete, click “Create Journey” and then enter your name, email and mobile number and the name and email of your date
· Choose the day and time for your date
· Type in the start point and destination including name of place, street address, suburb and state
· The app will then connect through Google maps and plot the journey with the most direct walking route
· Confirm the journey and details or edit if needed
· The invite will be sent to your date and a confirmation sent to you

Invitee:
· Once the invite is received with all details and a unique code, you will be asked to accept the invite and download the application
· Once the download is complete, input the unique code to ‘follow a journey’ and go to the starting point. The app will feature a reverse distance counter to show how close you are to the destination.
· Only when you arrive at the starting point will the camera app switch on and the candles will appear to direct you to the date destination
· If you get lost, you will have two options under the ‘lost’ button – to call your date or to reveal the destination address to find your own way. You will not discover the actual name of the place until you arrive, only the address.
· When you arrive you will see a red candle on the screen, a ‘congratulations’ message and the destination name will be revealed

The ‘Go Somewhere Special’ app is compatible with an iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS with the latest software (iOS v4.2).

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