8 Innovative & Inspiring Examples of Augmented Reality in Marketing

Augmented Reality (AR) is still largely new for the time being – the novelty of AR alone contributes to the fact that print, online and television advertising can be surpassed in terms of the shock factor. As The Drum reports, AR can grab people’s attention for over 85 seconds, increase engagement rates by 20 percent, and improve purchase click-through rates by 33 percent.

For now, people will stop and watch AR-inspired experiences regardless of the overall quality of the campaign. However, as more companies incorporate AR into their marketing strategies and AR technology becomes more ubiquitous, you need to create more sophisticated campaigns to impress your audience. Ultimately, AR will become mainstream and its proliferation in the industry will make it more difficult to assert itself.Tim Cook, Apple CEO, said that one day AR will be just as important in our daily life as “eating three meals a day”. So the question is, once AR is commonplace, how can your marketing strategy be effective in grabbing an audience’s attention?

Here we look at eight companies that are using AR in innovative and inspiring ways. These examples should be the inspiration you need to brainstorm and implement a brilliant long-term AR marketing strategy.

Examples of augmented reality

Augmented Reality for product marketing

1. Home Depot

Decorating a home isn’t easy – how do you know if you like the yellow color that looks nice online but might be too light in your bathroom? What if that coffee table doesn’t fit into your living room as you hoped?

In 2015, Home Depot released its Project Color app, which uses patent technology to show users what a paint color will look like in their home. AR technology takes into account lighting, objects, and shadows in the room so you can see what that shade of yellow will look like in real life. If you don’t trust your own judgment, you can also share pictures from the app on social media to get a friend’s opinion.

In 2017, Home Depot went one step further – now you can also use the app to check how objects such as garden furniture, faucets and other products look in your home.

Home Depot isn’t the only furniture store using AR to create value for its users. Lowe’s and Ikea have similar AR technology in their apps.

2. Timberland

If you’re anything like me, the idea of ​​trying on items in the locker room can sometimes prevent you from even shopping. More than once I’ve said, “I’ll buy it, try it on at home, and return it if I don’t like it.” Just to avoid the hassle of carrying a pile of clothes into a changing room.

In the interest of convenience and convenience, Timberland set up a virtual changing room in the Moktow Gallery in 2014. Using Kinect motion detection technology, customers in Timberland’s virtual locker room were able to see a picture of their face and a similarly sized model body in different shapes and outfits.

If you want to use AR, you should develop unique methods to help your customers avoid an otherwise onerous process. While locker rooms may not be the end of the world (first world problems?), Timberland stands out as a helpful brand by providing customers with a fun and useful alternative.

3. Sephora

There’s a reason many women don’t buy makeup products online – it’s impossible to know if you like the lip color or foundation if you don’t try them on in the store.

Sephora understands this battle and created an augmented reality experience, the Virtual Artist App, with ModiFace to ensure that Sephora app users can see what makeup products look like on their face through their phone’s camera. Users can also find out what tools or products they need to apply specific products.

Additionally, Modiface’s augmented reality technology can show users the effects of months of skincare on their skin – a picture they won’t find in store.

Bridget Dolan, Sephora’s innovation leader, appreciates the need for a long-term AR strategy. “When it comes to augmented and virtual reality, it can only be successful if it is really useful,” Bridget told Glossy. “We weren’t just interested in Buzzy. A lot of things like technical accuracy and timing had to come together, and there was a time last year when we reached a tipping point in testing. “

Sephora’s use of augmented reality is not only helpful for users, it also increases sales by engaging Sephora’s more tech-savvy consumers and encouraging those consumers to become brand ambassadors by recording and sharing their augmented reality experiences online .

4. AMC theater

Getting a message across when and where your target audience wants it to be is an important component of a successful marketing strategy. This is especially true for AR.

AMC Theaters, who understand that their audiences are most interested in upcoming movie trailers when they are in the cinema, have built AR technology into their AMC app. When a user sees a movie poster in a theater, they can open the AMC app on their phone, scan the poster, and get relevant information, including a cast list and a trailer.

If you are interested in the film after scanning, you can buy a ticket in the app immediately.

Ultimately, AMC Theaters provides optimal convenience in using AR – while a user can post a trailer on YouTube or a review on Google, there is an added incentive to watch the film and buy a ticket when the user can do everything in one place .

5. Taco Bell

There are two big reasons you should visit a Taco Bell in 2012 – to try the new Doritos taco bowl or to play with the augmented reality packaging.

For its Doritos Shell campaign, Taco Bell placed an AR function on every Locos Tacos box and every soda cup. When a user scanned the box with the Taco Bell app, they could see product-related Twitter and Facebook content on their phones.

By connecting their users to live social media content, Taco Bell successfully used AR to foster a stronger sense of community. They also showcased their brand as a key player in innovation, especially in the fast food industry.

6. StubHub

Augmented Reality allows you to visualize and interact with a space – two important functions in choosing how much you’re willing to pay for a stadium seat.

For Super Bowl LII, StubHub has introduced an AR function in its mobile app, with which ticket buyers can see a virtual 3D model of the US Bank Stadium as well as nearby parking garages and concession stands. This allowed potential buyers to visualize their entire experience before purchasing and minimized the risk of paying for a below par seat.

StubHub’s reliance on AR was resolved for a common customer problem – as StubHub CTO Matt Swann points out, “We’re fixing real vulnerabilities, not just for technical reasons. For a lot of people, it’s not an event you just show up for, it’s kind Bucket list item. “

For out-of-towers in particular, the ability to virtually compare different seating positions offers a degree of comfort for hesitant buyers.

As early as 2016, the company introduced the “virtual view” option in its app, with which ticket buyers can preview their views from their seats before purchasing. The results have been tremendous – StubHub saw app engagement more than double in one year.

AR and Experiential Marketing

7. Netflix

To market the second season of the Netflix original series Stranger Things, the streaming company launched a range of AR / VR lenses on Snapchat. With the lens shown in the video below, users were able to record videos of themselves walking through one of the houses shown on the show while monsters called Demigorgons were jumping out of the wall.

Aside from this lens, which is incredibly impressive for a mobile app, Netflix has also used AR filters to promote its content. The video below shows just a few that have been featured in apps like Facebook and Snapchat.

8. Pepsi

In 2014, Pepsi installed AR technology in a London bus shelter so it looked like a lion, UFOs, flying saucers and other objects were heading straight for Londoners.

The production showed Pepsi’s playful personality and offered the audience an extraordinary experience. Subsequently, a bus closet AR technology video drew over six million views on YouTube, making it one of YouTube’s most viewed advertising campaigns.

Pepsi’s campaign highlights the effectiveness of AR when a company really knows their audience. Pepsi didn’t have to use AR to promote their products. Instead, they trusted that their consumers would appreciate the surreal experience and naturally share the story with friends, creating excitement for their brand.

The state of AR in marketing

While some brands may not have full access to AR just yet, marketers can still see how these brands have creatively implemented new technology into their content marketing strategies.

As the media landscape changes and technology advances, marketers in companies of different sizes may have more options to implement technology. And when they do, they need to think creatively and innovatively about how to invest in them.

For more information on AR in Marketing, check out this ultimate guide. If you want to dive deeper into virtual reality, you might like this list of examples.