Christian Dior Couture: Between Astrology and Augmented Craftsmanship

To mark the launch of its Lucky Collection, Christian Dior Couture, Snap, and creative studio Playar have designed a unique activation blending craftsmanship, astrology, and augmented reality. This experience, available exclusively on Spectacles, allows you to select a card linked to astrological signs, which is then fragmented into four shards. Guided by the house’s iconic bee—symbolizing strength and vitality—these pieces are virtually sewn back together, weaving a link between tradition and modernity, before the card comes to life, revealing the full symbolism of the selected astrological sign. An interactive and sensory experience at the crossroads of craftsmanship and technological innovation, designed exclusively for Spectacles.

Louis Vuitton: An ode to orange blossom, a summer anthem in Augmented Reality

Louis Vuitton, for its part, celebrates the reissue of its iconic fragrance Sun Song, from the Les Parfums de Cologne collection, with an AR experience evoking Louis Vuitton universe and the journey of ingredients. Created by Master Perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, the scent blends orange blossom, neroli, petitgrain, lemon, and musks for a radiant composition. A true scent melody that announces, enhances, and prolongs the summer season.

This iconic fragrance is at the heart of a new Spectacles experience developed in collaboration with creative studio Busterwood. Spectacles lets you and your friends interact together with the fragrance’s key ingredients, explore its vibrant visual universe, and bring Louis Vuitton’s symbols to life in 3D. A multiplayer, collaborative experience designed as a sensorial and aesthetic immersion into the world of Sun Song.

A Shared Vision of Innovation and Creativity

This collaboration marks a first in the world of luxury: Christian Dior Couture and Louis Vuitton are the first Maisons to design experiences exclusively for Spectacles.

True to their heritage of excellence and artisanal craftsmanship, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior Couture reaffirm their roles as pioneers in adopting augmented reality technologies. These experiences on Spectacles embody a new form of creative exploration and augmented storytelling—where technology enhances emotion.

By utilizing Snap’s unparalleled AR technology, creators are able to engage users through immersive AR experiences that transform how people experience the world around them. Over 250 million Snapchatters use AR every day and play with AR lenses more than 6 billion times daily. This football season, Snapchat is giving fans new, previously unimaginable ways to be part of the football experience.

Offering a new dimension for fan engagement, Snapchat is bringing together a range of AR experiences and video content to a highly-engaged audience that is passionate about football, the players, or the teams, whether it’s through AR Lenses, Maps, the Camera, Stories or Spotlight. To support regional AR developers, the platform continuously invests in local talent. It delivers accessible and easy-to-use AR technology where creators can showcase their creativity and innovation to a global audience.

Through his three lenses, Mohamad captures fans' anticipation in the build-up to the games, encourages supporters to join the action through predictions, and keeps the spirit of the games long after the tournament by creating and sharing football memories. Maha's lenses capture the competitive nature of sports, celebrating the diverse cultures of participating countries and highlighting the colorful national kits. Meanwhile, friends Ibrahim and Fahad are inspired by the excitement of the games, with their lens depicting the fun atmosphere in stadiums.

Other Snapchatters can also express their enthusiasm for the game by creating their own memories. Snap's Camera and AR tools enable users to capture and share key moments with their families and friends before, during and after the world's biggest sports event.

Jake Thomas, Head of UAE Market at Snap Inc. said, "This is a special celebration for football fans in the region. Snapchat is a platform that brings sports fans together to celebrate and share authentic moments. We are offering the opportunity for the region's creative community to share their passion and showcase their talent to a global audience. We are also encouraging millions of Snapchatters in the region to create their own football memories that will stay with them long after the tournament is over."

A highly engaged Gen Z community talks about and watches sports and football on Snapchat every day: Over 340 million people use Snapchat daily, engaging with a range of content and creative, immersive AR experiences that bring football fans closer to the action. Research shows 83% of football fans use their phone while watching TV, with fans messaging their friends and engaging with content throughout the game.

These creative AR lenses allow football lovers to discover and learn more about football from its most passionate fans. They add flair and fun to the football experience allowing millions to join in the festivities and experience the joy of winning with friends and family. Snapchat will continue working with partners and the community to create new experiences throughout the tournament and after the event.

In a statement, Meta commented, "Earlier this year, we expanded our 3D Meta Avatars beyond VR, rolling them out to Facebook and Messenger—plus Instagram Stories and DMs. And today, we’re introducing the Meta Avatars Store, which will let you customize your avatar even further and be uniquely you."

New Meta Avatars Store will roll out in the coming weeks on Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger. Learn how to create your avatar for Instagram and for Facebook and Messenger. It will be introduced to VR soon. 

Balenciaga CEO Cédric Charbit said in a statement, “When Meta tweeted, ‘Hey @Balenciaga, what’s the dress code in the metaverse?’ we were instantly into it. Web3 and Meta are bringing unprecedented opportunities for Balenciaga, our audience

The business opportunity is all the more substantial as almost all of the Gen Z and Millennial population in KSA is anticipated to be frequent AR users by 2025. Similarly, almost all UAE users of social and communication apps will be frequent AR users by 2025, the survey showed.

The study suggests that the potential of AR in retail will only grow in the next decade. The ecosystem is maturing fast, with 78% of respondents in KSA and 73% in the UAE saying they can successfully identify AR when they see it. Although AR is generally still seen as a "toy," an average of 80% of respondents in both GCC countries expect and desire to use it as a practical "tool" in their everyday lives. Furthermore, 90% and 87% of shoppers in KSA and UAE respectively say they are likely to use AR when they come across it.

On Snapchat in particular, while the majority of users in the Kingdom and the UAE use AR regularly to shop, 66% of Snapchatters in both countries say the platform will be even more important for shopping in the next five years.

Hussein Freijeh, General Manager for MENA at Snap Inc., said, "We believe that Augmented Reality ultimately adds both utility and entertainment to people’s lives. So, while hundreds of thousands of Gen Z and Millennials in Saudi Arabia and the UAE have embraced AR tools, brands also have an invaluable opportunity to connect with existing and prospective customers in exciting new ways."

Dany Hajjar, Partner – Consulting at Deloitte Digital UAE, said: "As AR evolves, it will revolutionize our lives and become as significant a technology shift as the web or mobile was to society – changing how we view and interact with the world around us."

The Deloitte study also finds that the potential for AR to capture consumer attention is unrivaled, even in a world awash in social media content. AR delivers almost twice the level of visual attention compared to its non-AR equivalent, leading to improved memory retention and more powerful responses from consumers. The social aspect of AR also makes it possible to convert more customers through word-of-mouth, with 41% of users in KSA and 23% in UAE saying that they are more likely than non-Snapchatters to share the experience with family and friends.

Even after their attention is piqued, the report suggests that interacting with products helps consumers make more informed choices. Approximately 68% and 65% of shoppers on Snapchat in KSA and in the UAE respectively agree that AR gives them more confidence about product quality. Nearly three in four consumers in both countries say they're willing to pay more for a product that promises the total transparency that AR can provide. As a result, over half want to use AR technology to assess products, allowing for a risk-free, "try-before-you-buy" experience. That has significant implications considering that returns are a $550 billion drain on retailers' bottom-line globally, and that AR-guided purchases led to a 25% decrease in returns, according to the study.

Moreover, 30% of Snapchatters on average in both GCC countries who have interacted with a brand's AR experience are more likely to purchase products through a brand’s website than non-Snapchatters. Conversely, those operating outside of this realm could find themselves falling behind their competitors, with brands in the Kingdom being 34% more likely to be considered if they have a branded AR experience. The figure is even higher in the UAE where 43% of brands are more likely to grab users’ attention when they have AR presence.

Luxury retailers have always relied on the physical space to entice consumers in the world of desire, elegance, surprise, and delight of their brands. It was within their stores, with immersive, dreamlike interiors and exciting visual merchandising, that the storytelling of luxury retail came to life.

For many luxury brands, the transition from the bricks-and-mortar world to a new digital ecosystem has been a bit of an unforgiving struggle. This, however, has little to do with the purchasing desire of consumers and is more around the difficulty of translating online the in-store storytelling experience.

With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, many brands around the world have been either forced to close stores or introduce social distancing measures that somewhat detracted from these immersive in-store experiences.

So, what have brands been doing about this? Well, it’s no secret that e-commerce sales across the board have seen numbers way higher than anyone ever expected, and luxury goods have been a part of this increase in digital consumption. However, a functional e-commerce website isn’t really the best tool for storytelling and customer immersion. With this in mind, it’s easy to understand why many luxury brands have turned their attention and investment to virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences to re-engage with users through brand storytelling.

Now, the world is no stranger to VR and AR with Snapchat and Instagram pushing out easily digestible consumer engagements that have removed many of the barriers to entry for retailers, allowing them to use these ‘developed’ technologies in a way familiar to users rather than experimental gimmicks.  “By 2020, 46% of retailers planned to deploy either AR or VR solutions to meet customer service experience requirements,” according to a 2019 report by Gartner.

On top of this, there are two key factors that are helping drive the deployment of these technologies.

1. The ability to interact within the browser. Allowing users to use virtual reality experiences without the need for a native application removes many blockers and means that brands can begin to enrich the storytelling experience within the flow of the brand’s site. This is an essential component for consistency and is only really possible due to recent web browser rendering capabilities – something that will become the standard in 2021.  

2. Consumer need and readiness. Technology only really becomes mainstream when there is a genuine user problem to solve, and this has potentially been the main blocker for VR in the past. With the physical consumer world in a very different place during the pandemic, consumers' needs and attitudes have changed; however, the joys of exploring and being immersed in something have not. They have simply moved more and more to the mobile screen. It’s for this reason that the time is now ripe for luxury retailers to use these mediums to elevate their brand storytelling.

In recent months, we have begun to see the adoption and roll-out of VR and AR experiences to consumers that use this technology within its known boundaries; but there's also evidence of it being pushed to new levels of storytelling that far outstrip that of a physical retail space.

Balenciaga’s FW/21 collection was presented as the “Afterworld: Age of Tomorrow,” a VR videogame allowing users to ‘explore’ a number of virtual environments that housed the brand's collection on CGI avatars. The result is progressive and experimental but also extremely engaging, honest, and on-brand. It would have been near impossible to deliver this level of immersive storytelling in a ‘real’ world environment and is a great example of the level of depth a brand's vision can now go into.

We are also seeing many VR retail stores making their way to our screens and devices from the Dior’s Champ-Elysees Perfume Boutique, which takes 360 photographs of the existing store and allows users to ‘virtually’ walk around the space, exploring product ranges and purchasing in a near-to-real-world experience. Burberry, which often pioneers emerging technology, has been busy experimenting with VR and AR customer engagement with temporary VR stores for the Japanese market, and socially-connected AR stores in Shenzhen, China that blur the lines of physical and digital reality with the ability to unlock outfits for digital avatars based on a customer’s real world store engagement.

It’s also worth discussing visual merchandising and its role in this changing landscape. It goes without saying that it’s one of the most important factors for luxury brands in their storytelling strategy and changes month by month in the physical space. But, in the ‘virtual’ world, is this enough?

Netherlands-based Moyosa Media creates virtual experiences in the browser using a mixture of CGI rendered rooms and real-world assets allowing for more flexibility in the arrangement of items and the design of the interior, thus enhancing the brand experience for the user and allowing for further space for newness. Could this mix be the solution brands are looking for? Their recent collaboration with Gary James McQueen showcases this flexibility further via an immersive Virtual Catwalk show. Luxury brands heavily rely on these catwalks as a brand tool, but we may be seeing a permanent shift from exclusive and in-person to virtual and technologically progressive.

With all this taken into account, it’s not the end of the road for luxury retail stores by any means. In fact, as we come out of the pandemic, the need for ‘real world’ experiences is more important than ever. However, technology has moved forward at an accelerated pace this past year and, without question, has taken customers with it. Luxury brands, more than ever, must recognize this change, adjust both their digital and physical retail strategy to include the likes of VR and AR, and most importantly understand that the immersive, dreamlike interiors and the exciting visual merchandising in bricks-and-mortar stores are no longer pillars of luxury storytelling. There is a resurgence in luxury retail but it's very different at the moment and will likely never be the same again.

Amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, people have been turning to social media to stay connected. Whether it is to shop online, discover new brands or simply join online communities, there is increased social media usage to maintain social activity, especially when coming together face-to-face has become restricted.

According to the study, 63% of consumers surveyed are also increasingly showing interest in joining online communities in the Kingdom, with 70% among those surveyed in KSA members of an online community. While Instagram is more likely to be used for communities on Food, Drinks (47%) and Fashion (48%), Facebook is more likely to be used for gaming (39%). One example of how brands have capitalised on community engagement is Nestlé Middle East. The food and beverage giant created a bot for Messenger that kept its brands at the top of people’s minds during Ramadan and resulted in people spending 2.9X more time on its Nestlé website compared to other campaigns. By suggesting helpful products and supplying useful information, the bot could keep Nestlé and its brands in people’s daily conversations.

Ramez Shehadi, Managing Director for MENA at Facebook said: "Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are proving to be essential growth drivers for local brands both in and from Saudi Arabia. As we can see in the Ipsos and Facebook IQ research, people are on the hunt for new ways to reclaim their time, find joy in online shopping, interact with brands that have purpose, and participate in global and local communities that share interests and passions, all through a variety of emerging technologies. Consumers are readily and rapidly embracing change, and brands can build stronger connections by developing innovative and meaningful digital experiences.”

The demand for convenience

90% of consumers in the Kingdom are actively looking for ways to simplify their lives. These Convenience Seekers are looking for ways to do the things that actually matter to them – and whether that’s being together with loved ones (44%), getting fit (51%), learning new skills for a new career (54%) or giving back to their community (25%), time is the most valuable currency on the journey to personal.

Digitised immersive experiences are most sought-after

Saudi consumers are also demanding a new kind of relationship with brands. Among those surveyed, 87% said social media has allowed them to interact more and deepen their relationship with brands, with 84% being open to trying new and different ways of shopping.

At the forefront of this is Live Shopping as well as Augmented Reality. Live shopping, or live stream shopping that has digitized the home shopping experience via social media, apps, and websites, by providing a real-time feedback loop for buyers, including reviews and recommendations of products, is also gaining immense popularity among Saudi consumers. Nearly half of the consumers surveyed (48%) say their Live Shopping has increased over the past year with key categories such as Luxury fashion, Auto accessories, Sport equipment and Travel accessories being the most popular.

Among people surveyed in Saudi Arabia, 88% have used an augmented reality feature in the past year and 78% saying it is a fun way to interact with brands. 91% of those surveyed are open to brand-led AR features. For instance, 29% of Instagram users use AR on Instagram on a weekly basis. This demonstrates the immense opportunities marketers have with AR to market their products in more innovative ways.

“People continue to experiment with different features and services in their search for convenience. Brands that figure out how to give people time back may earn a timeless place in consumers’ hearts and wallets. For marketers, whether you engage people via Live Shopping, AR or interactive polls in stories, the goal should be adding value versus using the technology in and of itself,” added Shehadi

How long has TikTok been working on the AR Branded Effects?

We rolled out our TikTok Branded Effects offering in the region in September. We wanted brands in [MENA] to unleash their creativity and drive greater engagement with their customers with this new offering on our platform.

Over the last year, we have seen a huge rise in the adoption of technologies like augmented reality (AR). Digital spaces are becoming increasingly more important channels for brands to get close with their customers and as a result, users are now demanding better and more engaging, long-lasting experiences from brands. Technologies such as AR can make that happen.

How important is this new technology for brands?

Today, we live in a world that is online. The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital transformation for brands in order to better cater to and reach their audiences. But that has come at a price: consumers are now inundated with content and are feeling overwhelmed as they are bombarded with increasing volumes of information on a daily basis. So, it is now more important than ever for brands to cut through the ‘infodemic’ and ensure that their audience is engaged and up to date with the most relevant information for them.

Technologies such as Branded Effects are an integral part to a brand’s digital strategy, improving the quality of the content and reach.

What exactly are the possible uses of AR for brands on TikTok?

Traditionally, users have used AR on a one-on-one basis through private messaging. TikTok is further enabling brands by making their Branded Effects available to the wider community for everyone to discover and join the conversation. This creates further opportunities for brands as users have the ability to see, discover, and engage with specific Branded Effects, bringing them into the conversation and in turn making them ambassadors for your brand.

It is important to note that although the usage of a Branded Effect is limited to a campaign’s duration, the content created using Branded Effects remains on the platform to be discovered for as long as the user chooses to keep their TikTok’s up and running.

We are already working with many brands across verticals in the region, that are seeing great results, both in terms of user engagement and content creativity, thanks to our Branded Effects.

What are the AR commercial solutions available as part of TikTok For Business?

Our recently-launched Branded Effects joins our family of consumer AR solutions, equipping brands from creative yet simple effects to more complex, realistic 3D AR that can be activated through different movements and gestures. These can also be incorporated in our Hashtag Challenges to encourage participation and increase awareness, leading to bigger impact for brands.

We are constantly working on innovating our AR offering, and we are in the process of launching new capabilities with the Branded Effects that further drives user interaction and engagement for more unique and fun content.

What should brands pay attention to when using this tech?

TikTok’s Branded Effects offering is simple and arms brands with the tools needed to get their content to thousands of people around the world, opening more doors for those eager to tap into an infinite world of immense creativity.

A few pointers on how to make the most of Branded Effects in your campaigns: keep it simple and engaging for users with a clear call to action. The aim is to get your target audience to participate in your campaign and tell your story to others. Also, it is important that the brand’s presence in the Branded Effect is as organic and authentic as possible. Build the effect with the brand at the core rather than it being an afterthought.

Another crucial element is sound. To make the most out of TikTok, you must provide users with a ‘sound on’ experience in order to create highly shareable campaigns.

AR has long been associated with Snapchat. Facebook later incorporated it. How will TikTok differentiate itself?

While we are always trying to enhance our offering and supercharge our user experience for brands, it is worth noting that AR effects, in general, are not new. However, TikTok’s approach to Branded Effects is different because of our technology, community, and of course the TikTok format.

What is unique about TikTok Branded Effects is that it has over 30 unique triggers and facial gesture controls. The face, eye, and hand movement offer greater tracking capabilities that make the Branded Effects more engaging for users. Last but not least, sound – as a ‘sound on’ platform, plays an important role in the experience and it is core to our Branded Effects.

As previously mentioned, TikTok Branded Effects are very much a one-to-many and not a one-on-one conversation, meaning that they can be rolled out and used in our wider community, driving further engagement and reach for brands.

What other new video technologies do you believe will play a transformational role in branding in the near future?

With huge potential to boost engagement and brand visibility, video has become the most powerful brand marketing tool. Technologies such as AR, VR, live-streaming and the like will play a key role for brands in the future, providing more intriguing and immersive ways for consumers to get involved in creating even better video content.

Augmented Reality (AR) is propelling the e-commerce industry into the future with a model that makes advertising not only personalized but fun for the user. 

Augmented reality revenues are estimated to reach a staggering $14 billion in 2021, according to ARtillery Intelligence. This growth presents an exciting opportunity for marketers, as consumers are opting to buy online now more than ever before, based on comfort and convenience, AR removes one consumer concern or barrier – will the purchase live up to their expectations, be it the right lipstick to a sofa or car. Augmented reality (AR) technology has emerged and helped brands overcome this problem for consumers, allowing them to visualize and experience – as in some cases it’s about fit but it’s really about “what am I getting ?” 

Technology and publishers are driving increased opportunity. We’ve recently witnessed Facebook introducing AR ads, following the lead of Snapchat, meaning we have only scratched the surface of what this technology can accomplish. Coupled with the widespread rollout of 5G, and the accompanying promise of increased connection speeds, this represents an opportunity to accelerate the adoption of AR and offer consumer more sophisticated mobile AR experiences – Imagine watching a movie trailer unfold on the street as you walk by, then skipping the ticket line by choosing your seats through a virtual kiosk. By enhancing everyday activities, AR will be a driving force for commerce, sports and entertainment

As AR marketing grows in popularity, questions remain about best practices and what the future holds. 

1. What industries are best suited for AR ads?

All industries can engage consumers through AR advertising, however, retail has been the fastest adopter. The furniture, clothing and cosmetics industries have all already caught on to the potential of AR. 

• Zara has incorporated AR displays in more than 100 stores globally. The technology lets customers point smartphones at the stores’ mannequins and instantly buy any of the clothing items being modeled
• L’Oreal recently acquired AR startup ModiFace and has since developed a variety of virtual “try-on apps.” Through the different AR apps, consumers can see what they’d look like with various hairstyles, lipstick shades, and the use of other cosmetics.
• Online furniture retailer Wayfair developed a mobile app with an AR feature that allows customers to see virtual furniture and décor in their homes at full scale. The app ultimately helps customers determine whether a piece of furniture will fit within a space before buying it.
• E-commerce supergiant, Alibaba Group, recently announced Taobao Buy, an AR infused shopping experience that reimagines how you shop online with an interactive experience that looks and feels futuristic but is also easy to use. Alibaba’s new AR infused shopping app perfectly blends the real-world with 3D images for a result that looks like something straight out of big budget science fiction movie. Taobao Buy will let you browse and place 3D holograms of select products from their massive online store into your environment to see how they might look in a room. You can look at virtual dishware and see how it looks in front of you before making the final decision to purchase.
• This summer, Nike will roll out its latest augmented reality (AR) initiative, Nike Fit. While the feature is another move toward independence and away from wholesalers, it could also help to alleviate the biggest hassles of online shopping when it comes to clothes and accessories. The feature, powered through the shoemaker’s mobile app, will use a smartphone camera to take a detailed scan of a person’s feet. In less than a minute, Nike will be able to recommend ideal shoe fits and sizes for everyone. 

At Mindshare, we are already working closely with our partners, to create immersive consumers experiences, to yield that all-important ROI. In Tunisia for example we partnered with a local start up to address a challenge Tunisie Telecom was facing – loss of leadership position, impacting annual turnover. We developed the first mobile AR game, triggered by top up cards, featuring the iconic Ramadan persona, Boutbila. Throughout the campaign duration, it become the most downloaded game on the PlayStore (15,000 in 10 days), securing an excellent 4.1 rating. Most importantly, 10,000 active users doubled their data consumption. 

2. What might hinder AR marketing adoption?

AR software has become increasingly accessible for advertisers, allowing creative, meaningful experiences with a lower barrier to entry. 

AR advertising technology and content partners need to commit to creating a framework that reduces the technical burden for marketers and helps drive scale more broadly. Consumers are still in the discovery phase so educating them about AR technology and making available experiences is paramount, so for now, the focus need to be on content production and creation of experiences, to drive mass adoption.

3. How can brands measure AR ROI?

Brands can easily measure AR activations through number of clicks and time spent. However very soon we’ll start to see a bespoke set of engagement metrics emerge, that will shed light on the user experience. These could include object rotation and movement of the device around an object to show whether a user is interested in seeing the interior of the car versus the headlights in an automotive campaign.

Faris Sibai is Client Leadership at Mindshare MENA.

Also, Snapchat is working with more brands on what it calls Sponsored Snappable ads, which are augmented reality games created by brands with the same technology used in games like Pokémon Go. Snapchat revealed Dunkin’ Donuts, the gamemaker King and Anheuser-Busch InBev were among the first brands to create the augmented reality games as ads.

Now, Facebook has introduced new augmented reality ads that let people try on virtual renditions of products, as the battle for control of consumers’ cameras heats up.

People flicking through the News Feed will see ads for Michael Kors sunglasses, for instance, and can play with an augmented reality version through their cameras. They can also see how a piece of Pottery Barn furniture would look in their living rooms if they hold their cameras up to the spaces.

Facebook has already tested the ads with Michale Kors, Pottery Barn, Bobbi Brown, Wayfair, Sephora and others in the US. Augmented reality is a technology that was pioneered by apps like Snapchat, and now adopted by the biggest platforms like Facebook, Apple and Google, blending the real and virtual worlds through phones and other devices.

READ: 4 things to consider before starting Facebook Live

“Better marketing equals better shopping,” said Ty Ahmad-Taylor, vice-president of product marketing at Facebook, at an event in New York on June 10. “You connect with [customers] in a way that’s unusual and new, and you can deliver messages to them in a format they want to accept.”

Not the first

Facebook is not the first company to connect shopping and augmented reality. In fact, Snapchat pioneered this type of “selfie-commerce,” first with an AR ad for BMW last year. Then this year, Snapchat connected AR lens ads to shopping, letting people click to a checkout page to buy products on display – called “shoppable AR”.

At the same event, Facebook said the new AR ads would appear in the social network’s main News Feed, but declined to discuss their possible arrival on Instagram and Messenger. It’s safe to assume, however, that they’ll make it there eventually.

While Snapchat led the mobile obsession with AR and pushed the possibilities of the format in advertising, Facebook and its lineup of apps are proving too dominant for marketers to ignore. Facebook reaches more than two billion people a month, plus 1 billion for Instagram and 1.3 billion for Messenger. Meanwhile, Snapchat has 191 million users per day (it does not release monthly stats).

Buy now

Facebook is already talking to agencies about AR commerce, in which AR ads could take consumers directly to check out in its other properties, too, according to a digital ad agency executive who works closely with Facebook and spoke on condition of anonymity.

READ: Digital meets outdoor in this partnership

“In Messenger, you could do an AR ad that is connected to a customer service bot,” the agency exec says. “So, if you see the product, it looks cool, then there is the opportunity to interact with the store and buy through there.”

Snapchat has also borrowed from Facebook’s playbook over the years, most recently opening up a third-party developer platform so outside companies can build experiences inside its app. This week, TechCrunch reported that Snapchat is building a bridge to Amazon to let people to point their cameras at real-world products to be taken to the corresponding Amazon page.

Instagram has evolved into one of Facebook’s most important shopping channels with the introduction of product tags that brands put in their posts and collection ads, which deliver a catalog of product options in one ad.

“Shopping has become ingrained behavior on Instagram,” said Travis Freeman, executive vice-president at VaynerMedia, who spoke on a panel at Facebook’s event.

OPINION: “It is unfair to say that digital is completely replacing TV.”

Wayfair, the all-purpose e-commerce site, has been investing in augmented reality on its own for months, as have retail rivals Lowe’s and Target, which are building AR into their sites and apps.

AR “continues to be a core way that our customers are engaging with us as a way to try on products,” says Jess Jacobs, director of marketing at Wayfair, who also attended the Facebook’s event. “We see that as great way to move the customer through the funnel, when she’s probably deciding between a couple of different things and wants to see how does this couch fit in my space or how does this lamp fit on my bedside table.”

Virtual reality or augmented reality?

[Tweet “VR offers an escape from the real world and AR offers an escape (of sorts) within the real world.”]

So, from a marketing perspective, what’s better?

The case for VR

It is a great idea for entertainment, hospitality, gaming and automotive brands as evidenced by previous campaigns for Jumeirah, Infiniti, and Friesland Campina among others.

Even CNN launched its VR department called CNNVR, an immersive journalism unit and virtual reality platform within CNN Digital.

Almost two years back, Paul Lee, global director for Deloitte Research TMT (Technology, Media & Telecommunications), said that – among other trends – VR would gain popularity, but largely on the back of gaming.

However, he added: “We’re looking at almost two to three million devices, which is not very many,” and more importantly, the tech means nothing if consumers aren’t using it. (Read full article.)

Exactly.

Moreover, VR requires heavy investment because not everyone has the device to enjoy a VR experience, which means that brands creating these experiences will also have to provide the right device for it.

The case for AR

AR, on the other hand, can be experienced through a device that more than 80 percent of the population in the region already own: a smartphone.

• Statista forecasts that 200 million people worldwide will be using mobile AR in 2018, versus 60 million in 2013.
• On the basis of 2017 data from Snapchat, Pokémon Go, and other AR applications, more than 80 million people in the US, or roughly one-third of all smartphone users, engage with AR at least monthly, according to a BCG report
• The consumers using AR applications are a particularly attractive segment for advertisers: most are millennials (aged 19 to 34) or Generation Z consumers (aged 18 or younger), according to the same report

AR is less expensive, has wider tech support, and is easy for consumers to use as they don’t need a separate device. Moreover, it works effectively with location-based technology, which is becoming increasingly important for advertisers.

In fact, some brands started experimenting with AR back in 2014.

DOWNLOAD: Exclusive Ramadan Insights: What’s missing in your Ramadan FMCG strategy?

“Augmented Reality is integrating even better with mapping technology, coupled with increased smartphone penetration (which allows you to be tracked), a trend embodied by Pokemon Go and Snapchat’s new Snap Map,” said Jamal Al Mawed, director of communications, Dubai Properties Group. (Read full article.)

And look at already successful examples of AR: Pokémon Go and Snapchat.

In 2016, the former was a rage. An animal shelter in the US let players walk their dog for $5 so others wouldn’t know they’re actually out catching Pokémons and closer home, in the Middle East, accounts were being sold for more than AED10,000 on Dubizzle. Social media chatter analysis by Meltwater showed that KSA had the highest chatter on the topic with more than 51 percent of the mentions, followed by UAE at 25 percent.

Zomato, at the time, was quick to catch on to the crazy introducing a section called “PokéNom Pit Stops”.

And then, there’s Snapchat:

Globally,

• On average daily users visit Snapchat 25 times a day and create 20 Snaps a day
• One in three daily users play with Lenses everyday, spending on average three minutes a day doing so.
• Over 3 billion Snaps with Geofilters are viewed on Snapchat every day
• On average Snapchatters spend 30 minutes a day on Snapchat, with Snapchatters under 25 spending 40 minutes.

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In the GCC,

• There are 12 million daily active Snapchat with 9 million from KSA – up from 7 million in May 2017 – and over 1 million in the UAE

Snapchat also introduced its Lens Studio, a self-serve platform for AR, and Shoppable AR lenses, a way for advertisers to include a button that redirects users to a video, website or app store. This is why most AR budgets have been going to Snap, but not for long.

At its annual F8 conference, Facebook launched its own AR features:

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Along with adding AR support for Instagram, Facebook is introducing support for third-party AR filters in Messenger, Instagram and Facebook Lite, and it’s working with a handful of brands, including Sephora, Kia, Nike and Asus, on a private beta test ahead of time, reports Digiday. It is also allowing developers to download 3D models or place their own custom animations into AR Studio without having to write code.

Apple’s ARKit launched among much excitement last year and will most likely see some new developments at Apple’s WWDC event tomorrow. Already, brands such as IKEA have made use of the kit for developers with apps such as IKEA Place that allow users to place pieces of furniture from IKEA into their current room.

Similarly, Google is making big moves in the AR world too. In fact, its announcement earlier this year could eliminate what is possibly the biggest challenge for AR advertisers: the need for the user to download an app. Google’s Web AR initiative enables AR on desktop so users can view AR content directly in the browser. This is in addition to its ARCore launch, which much like ARKit, is an AR tool for developers.

As Blis MENA’s managing director Puja Pannum says, “To stay ahead of the curve, brands can use technologies like these [AR] on mobile to curate campaigns that mesh with and enhance the user’s actual environment, delivering creative, interactive, and real-world experiences.”