- Snapchat and SandStone Global teamed with historian Bettany Hughes to create an AR-enhanced TV series on Channel 5.
- Viewers scan on-screen QR codes to explore 3D reconstructions of each ancient wonder—right in their homes.
- Production combined field research in Egypt, Greece, and Turkey with advanced XR design for historical accuracy.
- AR interactivity shifts viewers from passive observation to virtual exploration, strengthening engagement and retention.
- The series extends Snapchat’s reach to older, education-focused audiences and hints at AR’s future in tourism and classroom use.
See how Snapchat and SandStone Global reimagine classroom-style learning through an augmented reality television experience.
Television has long been a cornerstone of educational content, but until now, it has largely remained a passive experience. Snapchat’s collaboration with SandStone Global Productions and historian Bettany Hughes breathes new life into historical documentaries by layering augmented reality over traditional broadcast.
Viewers no longer merely observe distant civilizations; they step into them. By scanning a simple on-screen QR code, an ordinary living room transforms into the base of the Great Pyramid or the terraces of the Hanging Gardens. This series signals a profound shift in how stories of the past are told and absorbed.
Behind the Scenes: Crafting Immersive AR Reconstructions
The creative partnership between Snapchat’s AR Studio Paris and SandStone Global set out to build lifelike digital renderings of antiquity’s most celebrated marvels. Historians, 3D artists, and archaeologists united to ensure that every column, garden pathway, and stone block is faithfully recreated.
Production crews traveled to Greece, Egypt, and Turkey to document modern remains, while XR designers translated field data into towering virtual monuments. The end result is an AR layer so convincingly detailed that viewers can walk around the Temple of Artemis or peer into the tomb chambers of Giza, all projected onto their smartphone screens.
Bettany Hughes: Guiding the Journey Through Time
At the heart of the series lies the curiosity-driven narrative led by Bettany Hughes. A respected scholar and dynamic presenter, she bridges millennia of history with on-camera explorations that blend intellectual rigor and accessible storytelling.
Her discussions about ancient engineering, religious significance, and cultural context now resonate more deeply when audiences can simultaneously summon the same structures before their eyes. Hughes’s narration, paired with her interventions at excavation sites and museums, grounds the AR spectacle in scholarly insight, turning casual interest into genuine understanding.
From Broadcast to Interactive Experience
Channel 5’s weekly broadcast introduces each wonder in a traditional documentary format—archival footage, expert interviews, and on-site reporting. Then, viewers are invited to open Snapchat, point at the television, and launch an AR encounter that extends learning beyond the screen.
The program’s producers designed this dual-phase approach to maintain narrative flow while encouraging active discovery. Instead of relying on text overlays or voice-over annotations alone, complex stories about geometry, urban design, and cultural exchange unfold in three dimensions, allowing learners to manipulate scale and perspective at will.
Educational Impact: Turning Viewers into Virtual Explorers
This AR integration reshapes learner engagement by fostering spatial awareness and curiosity. Rather than passively absorbing facts, participants physically move their devices to reveal hidden chambers or trace the flight of a virtual ziggurat’s contours.
Educators and parents note that such kinesthetic involvement cements retention far more effectively than conventional video. Teachers, too, can incorporate these AR moments into lesson plans—pausing the broadcast to prompt students to sketch observations or hypothesize construction methods.
The result is a multimedia classroom where television and mobile devices work in concert to deepen historical comprehension.
Broadening Audience Reach and Demographics
While Snapchat’s core user base skews younger, this series welcomes a more mature audience—history enthusiasts, lifelong learners, and families seeking enriching evening programming. By embedding AR triggers into a mainstream channel, Snapchat extends its brand beyond social filters and friend-to-friend messaging.
Older viewers intrigued by the novelty of virtual antiquity may find themselves downloading the app for the first time, unlocking future educational content and forging a new path for audience growth.
A Glimpse into the Future: AR’s Role in Education and Tourism
Snapchat’s “Seven Wonders” pilot hints at a broader ambition: to democratize learning and make global heritage accessible to anyone with a smartphone. As AR glasses loom on the horizon, similar partnerships could transport students to Renaissance Florence or recreate pivotal moments in world history.
Moreover, the tourism industry stands to benefit; prospective travelers can preview destinations virtually, sparking informed itineraries that blend digital exploration with real-world visits. In this way, AR programming may catalyze a feedback loop between screen-based discovery and physical travel, enriching cultural understanding while reducing barriers.
