The growing potential of AR in branded campaigns
While the potential of Augmented Reality is still being explored, its impact on marketing and communication is already visible among brands. The growing trust in AR can eventually contribute to a complete change in the way both consumers and producers view the market.
We are always keeping an eye on the latest trends in AR, and we couldnât do it right without branded campaigns.
As a result, in 2022 we published almost 3000 branded effects on our website, and the number is constantly increasing. Last year was full of great campaigns, and today, weâre highlighting the most memorable ones, showing how brands can implement AR in their communication. So if you are still wondering if AR suits your marketing, just see our picks and learn whatâs already possible!
Mentioned cases đ
â âVogue x Snapchat: Redefining the Bodyâ campaign
â Dior Holiday campaign
â Minecraft x Burberry campaign
â Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
â Puma x Dua Lipa campaign
â Gorillaz AR Performance
â HBO x Snapchat House of the Dragon campaign
â FIFA+ Stadium Experience
â BBC Studiosâ The Green Planet AR Experience
âVogue x Snapchat: Redefining the Bodyâ campaign
In 2022, British Vogue partnered with Snapchat to design an exclusive fashion exhibition with the use of Augmented Reality. The campaign was called Redefining the Body, and took place in Cannesâ Centre dâart La Malmaison. Wanting to connect with the customers, the 7 biggest luxury fashion houses joined the project: Gucci, Dior, Balenciaga, Versace, Stella McCartney, Richard Quinn, and Kenneth Ize.
Brands displayed fashion pieces in six rooms, transforming each of them into an immersive experience. Apart from the virtual try-on, designers included digital features, exclusive to every display. Lenses for Richard Quinn revealed a magical garden, shifting visitors into another dimension, while Dior focused on showing the hand-sewed details, presented on the moving statue.
Each piece from the exhibition was accessible to Snapchat users through dedicated Lenses or a landmark on the Snap map. The partnership also included designing a capsule collection in collaboration with DressX, that contained a limited edition of Snapchat x Vogue merch.
It has always been important to me to make fashion accessible for all. Using Augmented Reality, Vogue x Snapchat: Redefining the Body is an exhibition that invites everyone â regardless of race, gender, sexuality and size â to experience and enjoy fashion. Fashion from some of the worldâs very best designers and luxury brands. It doesnât get better than that.
– Edward Enninful OBE, The editor-in-chief of British Vogue
Dior Holidays The Atelier of Dreams
Dior’s Fall/Winter 2022 holiday campaign was truly a masterpiece of combining online and offline experiences. Digital features used in the campaign created an extraordinary experience for the customers, combining luxury products with accessible media. Parfums Christian Dior partnered with Dâstrict, a Korean company to create a unique 3D display, made with projection mapping technology. The stores turned into elegant, magical installations, perfectly capturing the spirit of the Holiday campaign with all its magic.
For us, the ultimate cherry on top was the collaboration with Meta Spark on bringing magic outside the stores. Pietro Ruffoâs star constellation designed for the Dior campaign with the use of AR technology turned into a dreamy journey through a mystical sky. Based on geo-localization, this filter allows users to track the Dior star that’s flying in the space around them, leaving behind a trail of the ghostly stardust and golden constellations. The Atelier of Dreams effect was created by BUCK.
Minecraft x Burberry campaign
Minecraft x Burberry was definitely an unexpected collaboration, which we loved! Both brands managed to keep their individual characters, while perfectly connecting the similarities. What seems to link the two companies is their adventurous spirit, seeking new opportunities to explore the world. Additionally, the campaign benefited both Minecraftâs players, and Burberryâs customers in their own unique way.
As a result of the partnership, Minecraft released a free DLC (Downloadable Content) called Burberry: Freedom to Go Beyond. During the adventure, the player shifts to the alternative reality, in which London is taken over by The Nexus, a hostile entity that destroys all greenery, and the colors of life. The main quest for this DLC is to restore the balance of the environment and save nature from extinction. To match the eco-friendly message of the campaign, brands donated $100,000 to Conservation Internationalâs forest protection and restoration programs.
Except for the in-game features, Burberry released an exceptional capsule collection, inspired by the adventurous ambiance of Minecraft. Implementing AR to the brandâs communication opened the door to reaching more people, who normally wouldnât feel connected to the brand.
Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
As the Coachella festival is known for its innovative solutions, it’s no wonder that Meta Spark Studioâs abilities were used in full by creating the Coachellaverse. Creators, involved in building this unique metaverse, made sure to provide a truly outstanding journey for the coachella-goers. AR technology added more fun and excitement during the music festival, and allowed fans to expand their reality with stars, flying objects, or mystical portals.
Coachellaverse could come to life through the collaboration of over a dozen talented Creators, who worked on designing exceptional effects for the Coachella App: Allan Berger @aln3.0, BLNK Digital @blink.digital, Cibelle Bastos @aevtarperform, Girls Who Code @girlswhocode, Isabelle Udo @videorbit.studio, Jeferson Arujo @jepharaujo, Mitsuko Ono @mitsukokubota, Nigel Matambo @sununguro, and Piper ZY @piper_zy.
We also had the opportunity to take a peek behind the scenes of creating the whole experience during interviews with Alexis Zerafa @alexiszerafa, Helena Dong @helena_dong, Luke Hurd @lukehurd and Paige Piskin @paigepiskin.
Turns out, going to Coachella wasnât the only way to enjoy the metaverse experience. Geolocation used for creating Instagram filters allowed users to open effects in cities like Tokyo, Los Angeles and New York giving an opportunity to feel the energy of the festival.
Those, who watched the show online, didnât have to worry about missing out. One of the concerts turned out to be on a whole another level.
Australian DJ Flume had a special performance at Coachella 2022. His team collaborated with Unreal Engine, a 3D computer graphics game engine designed by Epic Games. Online viewers could experience the one-of-a-kind show, with psychedelic effects that transformed the event into something out of this world. This performance definitely blurred the boundary of what we thought was possible in creating multi-level experiences for the audience.
Puma x Dua Lipa campaign
The collaboration with Puma allowed Dua Lipa to share her fashion taste with fans, through designing her own line. The singerâs collection brought back the iconic 90s streetwear vibe, which was designed to match the needs of the modern customers, and so was the campaign. Liam O’Neill @liamo.studio, an incredible AR filter Creator, joined the partnership and designed an exceptional effect for the collection.
The effect is expanding the real world with colorful, fun shapes flying around in real life space. Among the objects that are appearing on the screen, we can notice the logo of Puma right next to the lineâs signature butterfly. Some of the products from the collection are also visible on the screen, while using this branded effect. The filter was created as a part of Dua Lipaâs South America tour in partnership with Puma Chile.
Gorillaz AR Performance
A virtual band founded in 1998 was never afraid of experimenting with technology. In 2005 they performed as 3D holograms for the first time, and it was only a matter of time before the members noticed the potential of Augmented Reality.
In 2022 Gorillaz launched a dedicated app to support their promotion of the new single called Skinny Ape. The concert took place in New Yorkâs Times Square, and could be followed through the Gorillaz presents app. Fans could also use their phones to see additional elements and characters, blended into New Yorkâs setting.
The band performed with the AR again, later the same year, this time in Londonâs Piccadilly Circus. The dedicated app let viewers enjoy the concert live or return to the recording after the show ended. Implementing Augmented Reality not only made the show more attractive, but also made it possible for the fans to interact with the band, creating a one-of-a-kind experience.
The performances took place after Google launched two new features for Google Maps: Immersive View and the Geospatial API. To get a 3D view of bigger cities or popular landmarks, Google is mixing Street view images and 2D satellites, using neural rendering. In the end both technologies can contribute to the increase of using Augmented Reality in all corners of the market.
HBO x Snapchat House of the Dragon campaign
House of the Dragon, a prequel to the iconic Game of Thrones, was probably one of the biggest TV show hits in 2022. HBO used this opportunity to promote the show through Augmented Reality, rightfully earning a place on our list of best branded AR campaigns of 2022. To make it happen, HBO partnered with Snap AR and some of the best creators, who designed a unique experience for the fans in real life.
Most of the dragons could be found in North America, specifically in the Los Angelesâ Venice Neighborhood (by Francis Chen), Pier 16 in New York (by Alex Bradt), and Seattleâs Gas Works Park (by Brielle Garcia). Europeans could see the dragons in Amsterdamâs Rijksmuseum (by Danny Marree) and on the Tower Bridge in London (by Clara Bacou). The effect was also accessible around Monumento ao Visconde de MauĂĄ in Rio de Janeiro and Brazil Princess Statue (by VitĂłria Cribb). Two dragons were also available in India, one in Sankagiri (by Kavin Kumar), and another one on the Gateway of India in Mumbai (by Mohnish Raut and Persica Picardo).
For those, who donât live near any of the locations, HBO and Snapchat collaborated on creating the Lens allowing you to turn into the fire-breathing dragon yourself. Both projects were great examples of promoting the new series with AR technology, and engaging fans with an exceptional experience that could bring them closer to the story.
FIFA+ Stadium Experience
If you ever read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire then you probably remember the moment when Harry could follow the players through enchanted glasses. It seems that Augmented Reality really is a form of magic because viewers were able to do the same through the special app. This way FIFA+ Stadium experience allowed fans to see all of the stats live, which they could usually follow at home, on the TV.
Feature was available only to those who attended the Football World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Participants could scan the field with their smartphones, and see through augmented reality all the details from the match: from current stats of each player, simply by clicking on them, to VAR replays. This option was especially useful for those, who in the dynamic atmosphere of cheering the players got lost with the understanding of the referee’s decision. This way participants could enjoy the event live, while having all the information the same way they had while watching the game at home.
Other features from the FIFA+ app were available for everyone, such as full tournament coverage, highlights, mini games and more. With the new technology implemented into the FIFA experience, fans from all over the world could in their own way participate in the tournament.
Angles mean everything⊠what looks out from the side is, in reality, in play from above.. #ESP #JAP #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/5BraYqldND
— Chris Williams (@Chris78Williams) December 1, 2022
Charlotte Burr, FIFAâs director of Strategy, Digital and FIFA+, also commented on the importance of introducing new solutions in this campaign:
This is a significant moment, as we welcome the entire world to FIFA+ during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. FIFA+ is set to truly change the game by providing a new blueprint for how fans enjoy their World Cup on FIFAâs channels for years to come. FIFA+ is set to become the official companion experience for the tournament, giving fans around the world a unique and personal experience and reshaping how they enjoy sportâs biggest tournament now and into the future.
BBC Studiosâ The Green Planet AR Experience
In 2022 we could also witness the creation of the first TV show to use AR technology. BBC studio collaborated with some of the worldâs top organizations specializing in tech, creative content and science, to work together on a project under the name The Green Planet 5G. Factory 42, EE, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Talesmith and Dimension Studios designed a unique, Augmented Reality experience for the viewers.
Along with the show, hosted by Sir David Attenborough, the brands came up with a dedicated app that encourages viewers to connect with the show and be a part of the project.
Augmented Reality enriches the experience for the users, by providing the knowledge about nature through expanding the real world with technology. One of the features of the app includes taking care of exotic plants, seeing them grow, and seeing wildlife living around them. The app was not only an interesting play tool, but also a useful source of information.
Each year more and more brands are starting to notice the potential of creating a unique brand-customer experience through AR. Especially in 2022 we could see an increased number of virtual campaigns in different sectors of the market. Implementing AR in the communication is becoming a strategic point for those brands that keep an eye on incoming trends, and the changing needs of the customers.
But besides marketing campaigns, this technology can also improve the shopping experience for consumers, who are recognizing the company from fun, useful features like virtual try-on, or filters for personal use of the customers. This eventually leads to building a connection, and in the process there grows loyalty for the brand.