Multimedia messaging app Snapchat has created a new lens that allows London sightseers to virtually remove the scaffolding surrounding Big Ben.
In an aim to celebrate the festive season, users of the globally popular app can point their phone camera at the iconic clock tower to see the scaffold magically fall away. Big Ben is then encased in a snow globe with the words “Happy Holidays.”
The transformed virtual tower will also reflect the accurate time on the clock and recreate Big Ben’s famous bongs, chiming on the hour accompanied by four quarter-hour rings.
The Big Ben Lens will be live for several months and the creative will be adapted over time
According to Campaign Snapchat said, the lens can be used in spite of bad weather and from any viewing angle. It will work on devices as old as Apple iPhone 6 and “mid-range” Android smartphones.
The Big Ben Lens is powered by location-based and 3D mapping augmented-reality technology.
The Elizabeth Tower has been encased in scaffolding since repairs started in May 2017, while the bell, known as Big Ben, was silenced in August 2017.