An unexpected past year called for a change in consumer behaviour and how brands should communicate with their audience. Although, in the background, social platforms were working hard on creating the future of shopping on social.
Expectations for 2021
AR is set to become a huge-focus of brand marketing campaigns this year. Plus, Facebook are also looking to make further developments in AR, announcing their own AR glasses. Announced at their Facebook Connect showcase event, Project Aria is expected to be released to the public this year.
But, there’s one platform leading the way
Snapchat show no signs of slowing down with their advancements in augment reality. Further, in 2020, Snapchat added a range of AR options to their platform:
- ‘Shoppable AR‘ technology, initially launched with an AR shoe try-on filter, in collaboration with Gucci.
- 3D Body Scan lenses, developing their body tracking technology.
- Ground Transformation, which changes the ground in your Snapchat camera.
- Finally, ‘City Painter‘ which adds AR overlay to real-life locations.
In addition, Snapchat announced a new $3.5 Million AR Creator Fund which allows for advancements in AR experiences by pairing creators with brands.
So, what campaigns have Snapchat had this year?
In December, Snapchat looked back at some of their incredible campaigns in 2020. Let’s take a look at some of our favourites.
Gucci Shoe Try-on
Need to know what shoes would look best on you? Gucci partnered with Snapchat in their first-ever ‘try-on’ campaign to make that possible.
NYX Professional Makeup Virtual Store
NYX and Snapchat launched their first-ever virtual beauty shop. This allowed consumers of their favourite beauty brand to have their very own shopping experience from home.
Black Pumas 5G Concert by Verizon
Snapchat and Verizon are bringing the entertainment to you with an augmented performance by Black Pumas.
WHO Global Donation Lens
The World Health Organization and The United Nations launched a donation through augmented reality to raise awareness about resources needed during the earlier stages of the pandemic.
What do we think?
Augmented Reality has had a massive push in development last year and it shows no signs in slowing down. Specifically, with more options for brands and creators to produce incredible experiences combined with Apple & Facebook working on their own versions, we can expect to see more brands utilise virtual experiences in 2021.
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