The Santa photo trend that is so 2021

If the pandemic these last two years has taught us anything, it's that life is unpredictable.

For hospitality, restrictions meant shut-downs and contactless serving, or 'pivoting' to a whole new way of doing things.

For supermarkets, it was a boom in home deliveries and collection services while still dealing with panic buying and product shortages.

READ MORE: What 'pivoting' really means for hospitality

Pubs and clubs had to shut the doors and live performances were off the table.

So, we're interested to see how these things come back and what shape they will take when they do.

One thing we could not have predicted is a change in the way we do the family Santa photo.

According to reports and general chit chat, there are plenty of us that are not keen to queue up with strangers in a shopping centre to sit one-by-one at close quarters on a live Santa's lap — assuming we'll even be able to do that this Christmas.

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Socially-distanced Santa photos are possible, but there's also the fact that people just aren't that comfortable with it in any form — not to mention a reported shortage of Santas for the gig.

Enter the era of the augmented reality, Santa AR Santa: A new option that has become available for the post-pandemic Christmas season.

Grub Lab is the innovative hospitality tech company behind what they call the Santagram.

The technology will allow over 100,000 families attending hospitality venues in Australian to take an augmented reality picture with Santa while they are out for lunch or dinner.

The company already creates kids entertainment programs designed to enhance the family dining experience in hospitality venues. It's a plug and play situation that uses AR technology to keep kids entertained. Now they've extended it to include Santa pictures for the family.

Santagram is available for free to anyone visiting a participating venue.

You download the Grub Lab app, scan the QR code on the floor of the venue and you'll be offered three Santa photo opportunities where you can take your photo with Santa in a socially distanced and COVID-safe way.

Save the photo to your phone, share it on social media or get it printed, and that is your Santa photo done for the year, all while you're getting dinner.

The first Santagram photo scene is the classic Santa on the beach in his board shorts, while Rudolph surfs in the background.

The second scene is a traditional Christmas winter wonderland, while the third option is Santa in the outback, complete with cork hat, Kangaroo and Kookaburras.

Grab Lab sees the Santagram as a way to encourage families back into our reopened hospitality venues, while also helping out with the rush to get Santa photos sorted at Christmas time.

It's certainly a reflection of the times we live in.

Find all the Grub Lab stuff here.

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