Snapchat is combining augmented reality with e-commerce with a new 'Shoppable AR' feature.
Under the new system, Snapchat users in the UK and US can buy products via within the messaging and camera app.
The technology works by letting advertisers add a ‘button’ onto any AR lenses they are running on Snap. This button has the ability to complete a number of actions, including directing users to retailers’ online stores or apps where they can purchase the products, all in a click.
Four brands launching Shoppable AR Lenses are:
- Clairol (Coty) (AR beauty product trial for Color Crave + website)
- adidas (AR experience for Deerupt Runner Shoe + website)
- King (AR Candy Crush experience + app install)
- STX Entertainment (AR Amy Schumer ‘I Feel Pretty’ Lens + film trailer video)
Peter Sellis, Director of Revenue Product, said: “Shoppable AR Lenses give brands a new way to leverage our unique scale — more than half of the 13-34-year-old population of the US plays with our AR Lenses each week on average — to drive real and measurable ROI, whether that’s through sales, downloads, lead gen, or video views.”
Shoppable AR’ Options
- Website – the most “shoppable” capability, this gives users a tappable button to view an instantly loaded web page. Created for retailers and e-commerce companies to use an AR Lens to drive traffic to a product page, sign-up form etc.
- Video – combines an immersive AR experience with a long-form narrative in a simple tappable package. Full-length game or film trailers, short films, how-tos or behind-the-scenes footage, advertisers can add a video up to 1GB in size.
- Install – turn a gamified AR Lens ad into a DR unit with a button to drive app installs or re-engagement (opens the app if the user already has it downloaded).
