It’s the Year of the Dragon and Lend Lease’s Singapore shopping centre 313@Somerset is welcoming the New Year in with a digital twist.

The centre has launched the 313 iDragon iPhone app for tech savvy Singaporeans. Shoppers can use the app that uses augmented reality technology to find and capture ‘3D Jewels’ hidden in the 313 Fashion Dragon installation in the centre’s atrium. These Jewels contain exclusive promotions and other prizes, worth up to $200,000 that can be redeemed within the mall.

“This year, we want to reinforce the key tradition of LNY, which is replacing the old with the new, through innovative styles and concepts,” said Amy Lim, GM of 313@Somerset. “LNY is an opportune time to fulfill shoppers’ needs by offering a wide range of fun, fresh experiences and yet retaining the traditional, cultural aspects of LNY.”

Shoppers entering 313 will be greeted by an arresting Fashion Dragon installation hung between levels 2 and 3 in the Atrium. The stylised mannequin is dressed in a purple gown, headgear that resembles the head of a dragon and is covered with golden fins.

With the 313 iDragon app, shoppers are able to spot and capture the 3D Jewels as they appear from the Fashion Dragon in the atrium. Each Jewel captured can be stored for usage at a later date or released immediately for other shoppers to capture. The entire process to spot and capture a Jewel takes less than one minute.

The Jewels can be redeemed at the respective retailers by presenting them upon payment and shoppers can store a maximum of three Jewels per day.

“The average shopper in Singapore is increasingly connected with their peers,” said Lim. “During sale periods especially, shoppers share bargains and promotions with their friends.

“We wanted to capitalise on the digital responsiveness of our target audience to create a shareable social experience with a digital twist that would resonate with them and enable them to enjoy and appreciate LNY digitally while removing physical limitations between shoppers and the mall.”

The 313 iDragon app is available for free download from the Apple App Store by searching ‘313 iDragon’.

The promotional concept has seen a positive response among 313’s retailers, with B’dazzle, Esprit, Limited Edt Vault, Goal@313, Gong Cha, Lee Hwa Diamond Gallery, The Faceshop and Marche Restaurant among the retailers involved in the promotion, which runs until February 6, 2011.