Augmented Reality Advertising: Enhancing Customer Experience

Augmented reality is a technology that superimposes digital 3D content in the real world. You can watch it using smartphones, tablets, smart glasses, and other devices. Digital objects are activated with markers (QR codes, images, physical objects, etc), beacons, GPS trackers, digital compasses, and so on.

Today, this technology is actively applied by marketers, as it helps to evoke emotional feedback from users of the product. For example, fans can get partially immersed in a setting of their favorite TV show, and online customers can see the chosen item and try it on themselves.

As the number of modern technology users continues to rise, so does the popularity of AR. Statista predicts that the number of AR technology users will be increased to 1.75 billion by 2024.

In today’s article, we’ll highlight the definition of AR advertising, its types, and some of the most successful use cases by various brands, like Snapchat, Disney, Netflix, Lacoste, and more.

Augmented Reality Advertising: Future of Marketing is Here

AR advertisement is about using augmented reality for brand or product promotion. 

Stat for article

You can read more about the basic principles of AR in our article about the difference between augmented and mixed reality. 

Interactive AR Ads: Engage Your Customers in a Whole New Way

Augmented reality can be applied for different types of advertisements, including 

  • outdoor advertisements; 
  • printed ads; 
  • advertisements on packages; 
  • promo campaigns for movies and TV; 
  • virtual try on. 

AR Advertising Goes Outdoors: Engaging Customers in Streets 

As a rule,  AR advertising is used for street campaigns: billboards and city lights with digital element activation markers for smartphones or tablets. 

Pepsi Max’s Bus Shelter is an example of an outdoor AR advertisement. It’s a bus stop with a built-in screen that demonstrates various AR scenes. While people wait for a bus, they see digital meteorites, alien ships, or underground monsters, that are superimposed on a real street in the UK. 

City Painter by Snapchat is another example of outdoor AR advertisement. Unlike the previous case, this app is developed for smartphones. A mobile device user “colors” city streets with digital paint. Using a smartphone screen, you can see the results of both your work and those of other “artists”.

Print Comes to Life: Augmented Reality Advertising on Your Merchandise

This type of augmented reality advertisement is activated by markers, like QR codes and images, placed on printed promo products: posters, flyers, business cards, booklets, magazines, etc.

For example, the Net-a-Porter fashion brand augmented their PORTER paper magazine issue with AR illustrations that are activated by smartphones right on the magazine pages. With augmented reality, PORTER readers discover exclusive content and the possibility to order a chosen item from magazine pages through a smartphone. This issue of the magazine was developed in collaboration with The UK IT company blippAR. 

A similar function is also available for National Geographic printed magazine. Using a smartphone, a reader unlocks different 3D objects and animations on magazine pages.

Unboxing Your Brand: Augmented Reality Ads on Product Packages

In this case, a product package isn’t just called to protect from outside influence. With augmented reality, a colorful and original package can be even more attractive for customers with the help of an AR experience.

Pizza Hut Pac-man AR Game is a bright example of an AR package advertisement. Every pizza package contains a marker that activates a classic video game Pac-man. But now it’s in augmented reality.

Usually, for AR package ads developers implement WebXR technology, the one we discussed in our previous article. 

Experience Your Favorite Shows and Movies in a New Way with AR Ads

Augmented reality promo campaigns made for smartphones are drawing the attention of your movie or TV show’s potential audience. A movie-based AR experience makes users mentally closer to their favorite movie heroes and attached to a movie or TV show. 

A bright example of the use of an AR smartphone app to promote the movie/TV series is The Mandalorian AR Marketing Campaign. It’s an AR program that activates a digital model of the Mandalorian himself and Baby Yoda while recreating some scenes from the show. The convenience of this AR experience is that users can unlock it while sitting on the couch at home.

The Mandalorian AR Marketing Campaign was developed by Disney, in collaboration with  Google,  as a part of a promo campaign for the second season of “Star Wars: The Mandalorian”.

Another famous case of implementing AR for TV shows promotion is a campaign for the third season of Stranger Things by Netflix. It’s a collaboration of the Netflix project with the popular newspaper, The New York Times. A user had a chance to unlock AR content with the 1980s images on newspaper pages, using a smartphone. These images are Starcourt Mall ads. It’s a fictional mall, where a part of the season three plot is happening.

It’s not the first time that Stranger Things promoters use immersive technologies for the show’s promo campaign. During the first season premiere, Netflix presented a VR experience on YouTube with fans being allowed to observe the main location of the season. 

Try Before You Buy: Augmented Reality Virtual Try-On 

AR try-on scans the human body and allows a customer to try on digital items. 

One of the most interesting use cases of implementing augmented reality for try-on is the one presented by Lacoste. In this program, a smartphone user sees both the digital model of a sneaker on their foot and a 3D installation that outlines a style of a certain shoe model.

In our article, you can read more about the technology of virtual try-on and its influence on modern retail. 

Transform Your Business with Augmented Reality Marketing

Today, modern brands pay more attention to augmented reality as a marketing tool for a few reasons, including

  • Improving brands and customer interaction.  Using augmented reality for promotion, you make your brand and products more available for modern gadget users. Nowadays, there are over 6 billion smartphone users around the world, and it’s 83% of the whole planet’s population. So, people can learn more about your brand and new product, not taking their sights off device screens. 
  • Enhancing customers’ emotional connection with brands. It has long been proven that immersive technologies can cause emotional feedback in users. It is one thing when your client reads the info about the advantages of your services or goods. Another thing is when a customer can try on digital clothes or play AR games, thus adopting an emotional connection and pleasant associations with the brand. According to Invespcro, 70% of customers claimed to be loyal to a brand that uses AR. 
  • Increasing the company’s income. Having tested your product in AI, your customers are more likely to buy a real product. 61% of online customers said they preferred to buy items on-site after AR product testing. 
  • Facilitating the possibility to provide feedback. When trying on an item’s digital version, customers have a better understanding of whether this item fits them or not. According to Harvard Business School, over 30 000 items are produced annually, and 80% of them have flaws. Augmented reality offers companies to improve customer feedback and eliminate an item’s defects. 
  • Engaging young audience. Immersive and innovative technologies are primarily an object of interest for children, teenagers, and Z-gen youth (some media even call them AR-generation). This generation has a better awareness of modern technologies. Zoomers were literally growing up with smartphones in their hands. As data for April 2022 shows, 92% of Zoomers want to use AR for their online shopping.

banner_blue

Augmented reality is a powerful tool to improve your brand’s promo.  It helps companies reach modern customers, who cannot imagine their lives without devices. Augmented reality also enhances the emotional connection between the brand and the audience and improves clients’ loyalty to a brand. Want to have a stronger connection between your brand and the audience? Start keeping up with the latest trends and implementing AI applications. It won’t take long before the result comes. 

Image: Freepik

Latest Articles

July 22, 2024
The Evolution and Future of AI in Immersive Technologies

Immersive technologies, such as virtual reality and augmented reality, rely heavily on artificial intelligence. Through AI, these experiences are made interactive and smart, providing data-based insights while also enabling personalization. In this article, we will follow the evolution of immersive technologies in relation to AI, make predictions regarding its future development and bring forth some opinions from experts who explore this area. Evolution of AI in VR, MR, and XR The journey of AI in VR, MR and AR technologies has been marked by significant milestones. As we have observed, the improvements of AI in immersive technologies have been evidenced by a number of important milestones, starting with the early integration of AI-driven avatars and reaching the current practice of deep learning for real-time environment adaptation. Therefore, let’s envision what we should expect in the upcoming days from AI in the VR/MR/AR field and what experts believe in the approach. Future of AI in VR, MR, and XR The IEEE AIxVR 2024 conference was held in January 2024. There were experienced experts and people with the most innovative ideas coming together to talk about how artificial intelligence has reached virtual and augmented reality. This event was made up of completely revolutionary discussions about virtual reality and all the other AI technologies that have really progressed. There were talks from keynote speakers, research presentations, and interactive sessions, showing AI as the source of these enhancements: realistic immersive experiences, exclusive content, and personalized stuff. One of the most remarkable episodes of the event was the keynote address of Randall Hill, Jr., an important personality in the AI and immersive technologies world. Hill was showing off the change that artificial intelligence has brought to virtual reality. He said: “Our journey to building the holodeck highlights the incredible strides we’ve made in merging AI with virtual reality. The ability of AI to predict and adapt to user behavior in real-time is not just a technological advancement; it’s a paradigm shift in how we experience digital worlds.” Another conference, Laval Virtual 2024, was also remembered for the impressive performance of Miriam Reiner, owner and founder of VR/AR and Neurocognition Laboratory at Technion, who was presenting the speech “Brain-talk in XR, the synergetic effect: implications for a new generation of disruptive technologies”. Source: Photo by Laval Virtual from X Miriam Reiner shared an insightful quote at the IEEE AIxVR 2024 conference, emphasizing the transformative potential of AI in VR and AR. She stated: “The synergetic effect of brain-computer interfaces and AI in XR can lead to a new generation of disruptive technologies. This integration holds immense potential for creating immersive experiences that respond seamlessly to human thoughts and emotions.” Statistical data, in particular, provides a summary of the assumptions regarding the use of AI in immersive technologies. A notable point from a recent market analysis is that the worldwide XR market will increase by almost $23 billion, growing from $28.42 billion in 2023 to $52.05 billion by 2026, due to the popularization of next-generation smart devices and significant advancements in AI and 5G technologies. A report by MarketsandMarkets foresees the development of the AI segment in XR, projecting the market to reach $1.8 billion by 2025. This indicates that the expansion of AI in creating more interactive and personalized immersive experiences is becoming a major trend. Conclusion AI adds certain features in VR, MR, and AR solutions, such as an improved user experience, higher-quality interactions, smarter content creation, advanced analytics, and enhanced real-world connections. It significantly transforms the way we perceive immersive technologies.

June 25, 2024
The Advantages of Integrating Immersive Technologies in Marketing

Even while immersive technologies are becoming more and more commonplace in our daily lives, many firms remain skeptical about their potential for corporate development. “If technology does not directly generate revenue, why invest in it at all?” is a common question in the public mind. Because of their careful approach, only very large companies in the business with substantial marketing expenditures are using immersive technologies to generate excitement at conferences, presentations, and events. But there are far more benefits to using VR, AR, and MR in marketing than just eye candy. These technologies provide a plethora of advantages that can boost sales, improve consumer engagement, and give businesses a clear competitive advantage. Marc Mathieu, Chief Marketing Officer at Samsung Electronics America said: “The future of marketing lies in immersive experiences. VR, AR, and MR technologies allow us to go beyond traditional advertising and create unique, memorable interactions that can influence consumer perception and behavior in powerful ways.” Captivating and engaging audiences is one of the main benefits of VR, AR, and MR. According to a 2023 Statista analysis, AR advertising engagement rates are predicted to rise by 32% over the course of the next several years, indicating the technology’s capacity to capture viewers. An information-rich culture can be a hostile environment for conventional marketing strategies. Conversely, immersive technologies offer compelling and unforgettable experiences. For example, augmented reality uses smartphones or AR glasses to superimpose product information or advertising onto the real environment, while virtual reality can take buyers to virtual showrooms or give them a 360-degree view of a product. A stronger emotional bond and improved brand recall could result from this degree of involvement. Here are other possible advantages. Personalized Customer Experiences Marketing initiatives that are highly customized are made possible by immersive technology. Businesses may learn more about the tastes and habits of their customers by gathering data on user interactions inside VR and AR environments. The relevance and efficacy of marketing campaigns may then be increased by using this data to customize offers and messaging for specific consumers. Because consumers are more likely to respond favorably to marketing that seems to be tailored just for them, personalization raises the chance of conversion. Demonstrating Product Benefits For many products, VR, AR, and MR offer a distinctive approach to showcase benefits, especially for those that are complex or have characteristics that are hard to explain through traditional media. Potential buyers may be able to virtually test out a product and get a firsthand look at its features with a VR experience. With augmented reality (AR), one may see how a product would appear in its natural setting, for example how furniture would fit in a space. Sales can rise and buyer hesitancy can be considerably reduced when consumers can see and engage with a product before making a purchase. Creating Shareable Content Social media users are more likely to share content that uses VR, AR, and MR. Individuals are more likely to tell their friends and followers about interesting and engaging events, which generates natural buzz and raises brand awareness. Since suggestions from friends and family are frequently more trusted than standard commercials, word-of-mouth marketing has the potential to be quite effective. Differentiation from Competitors To stand out in a crowded market, distinctiveness is essential. Through the integration of VR, AR, and MR into marketing tactics, companies may establish a reputation for being creative and progressive. This draws in technologically sophisticated clients and establishes the business as a pioneer in its field. Those companies that adopt these technologies early will have a big edge when additional companies start looking into them. Enhanced Data Collection and Analytics Immersive technologies provide new avenues for collecting data on customer interactions and preferences. By analyzing how users engage with VR, AR, and MR experiences, businesses can gain valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences. This data can inform future marketing strategies, product development, and customer service improvements, leading to a more refined and effective overall business approach. Detailed Examples of Immersive Technology in Marketing Pepsi’s AR Halftime Show During the Super Bowl halftime show in 2022, Pepsi introduced an inventive augmented reality (AR) experience created by Aircards with the goal of interacting with fans in a whole new way. Through the use of their cellphones, viewers may access an augmented reality experience by scanning a QR code that was flashed during the broadcast. With the use of interactive multimedia including behind-the-scenes videos, exclusive artist interviews, and real-time minigames, viewers were given the impression that they were a part of the event. To add a gamified aspect to the experience, the AR halftime show also included virtual Pepsi-branded products that spectators could “collect” and post on social media. In addition to offering amusement, this program gave Pepsi useful information on user behaviors and preferences. Through data analysis, Pepsi improved total customer engagement and brand loyalty by honing future marketing initiatives and creating more tailored content. Visa’s Web3 Engagement Solution Visa launched an innovative Web3 interface technology in 2024 with the aim of transforming loyalty programs for clients. Visa developed an easy and engaging interface that let users interact with virtual worlds and benefit from the combination of blockchain technology and augmented reality. Customers can engage in virtual treasure hunts and simulations of real-world locations through augmented reality (AR) activities. In order to provide clients with safe and transparent incentive tracking across many merchants, the Web3 system also made use of blockchain. More adaptability and compatibility across various loyalty programs were made possible by this decentralized strategy. Customers benefited from a more satisfying and engaging experience as a consequence, and Visa was able to implement more successful marketing campaigns thanks to detailed data analytics that provided deeper insights into customer habits and preferences. JD AR Experience by Jack Daniel’s To bring their brand story to life, Jack Daniel’s introduced an immersive augmented reality experience. Users could access an immersive trip through Jack Daniel’s production process and history by scanning a bottle of whiskey with…

May 8, 2024
A Comprehensive Guide to Developing Immersive AR/VR App for Apple Vision Pro

We offer comprehensive support to our clients throughout the entire product development journey, from conceptualization to execution. Recognizing your keen interest in developing products for Apple Vision Pro, we’ve consolidated the expertise of our team into a single article. This article serves as a step-by-step guide on crafting a product tailored for Apple Vision Pro, ensuring that you navigate the process seamlessly and effectively. Create a Concept The first thing you need to do is come up with a concept for your app. Think of this as the blueprint that will guide the entire development process. This stage involves: Idea Generation: Coming up with potential app ideas based on market needs, user preferences, or solving specific problems. Market Research: Analyzing the market to understand existing solutions, competitors, target audience, and potential gaps or opportunities. Defining Objectives: Clearly defining the goals and objectives of the app. This includes identifying the problem it aims to solve, the target audience, and the desired outcomes. Conceptualization: Translating the initial idea into a concrete concept by outlining core features, user interface design, user experience flow, and technical requirements. Prototyping: Creating wireframes or prototypes to visualize the app’s user interface and interactions. This helps in refining the concept and gathering feedback from stakeholders. Feasibility Analysis: Assessing the technical feasibility, resource requirements, and potential challenges associated with developing the app. Validation: Testing the concept with potential users or stakeholders to validate its viability and gather feedback for further refinement. Overall, creating a concept sets the foundation for the app development process, guiding subsequent stages such as design, development, testing, and deployment. It helps ensure that the final product meets user needs, aligns with business objectives, and stands out in the competitive app market. Market Research The next step in developing a product for Apple Vision Pro involves conducting thorough market research. This crucial step provides insights into the competitive landscape, user preferences, and emerging trends, which are vital for shaping your product strategy and positioning. To perform effective market research: Identify Your Target Audience: Define the demographics, preferences, and behaviors of your target users. Understand their needs, pain points, and expectations regarding immersive experiences offered by Apple Vision Pro. Analyze Competitors: Study existing apps and solutions within the Apple Vision Pro ecosystem. Assess their features, user experience, pricing models, strengths, and weaknesses. Identify gaps or areas where you can differentiate your product. Explore Market Trends: Stay updated on industry trends, technological advancements, and consumer preferences related to augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences. Identify emerging opportunities or niche markets that align with your product concept. Gather User Feedback: Engage with potential users through surveys, interviews, or focus groups to gather feedback on their preferences, pain points, and expectations regarding AR/VR applications. Incorporate this feedback into your product development process to ensure relevance and user satisfaction. Evaluate Technical Feasibility: Assess the technical requirements, limitations, and capabilities of Apple Vision Pro. Understand the tools, frameworks, and APIs available for developing immersive experiences on the platform. Determine the feasibility of implementing your desired features and functionalities within the constraints of the platform. By performing comprehensive market research, you gain valuable insights that inform your product strategy, enhance user experience, and increase the likelihood of success in the competitive Apple Vision Pro marketplace. Choose Your Apple Vision Pro Features After conducting market research, the next crucial stage in developing a product for Apple Vision Pro is selecting the features that will define your app’s functionality and user experience. Here’s a breakdown of key features to consider: Eye-tracking: Leveraging Apple Vision Pro’s advanced eye-tracking technology, you can create immersive experiences that respond to users’ gaze, enabling more intuitive interaction and engagement within the app. High-quality 3D content: Incorporate high-fidelity 3D models, animations, and environments to deliver visually stunning and immersive experiences that captivate users and enhance their engagement with the app. Live video streaming capabilities: Enable real-time video streaming within the app, allowing users to share live experiences, events, or demonstrations with others, fostering collaboration and social interaction in virtual environments. MR/VR-based calls and text messaging: Integrate augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) communication features, such as AR/VR-based calls and text messaging, to facilitate seamless communication and collaboration between users within immersive environments. Real-world sensing and navigation: Utilize Apple Vision Pro’s real-world sensing and navigation capabilities to enable location-based experiences, indoor navigation, and context-aware interactions within the app, enhancing usability and relevance for users in various environments. Support for third-party applications: Enhance the versatility and functionality of your app by providing support for third-party applications and services, allowing users to seamlessly integrate external tools, content, or functionalities into their immersive experiences. By carefully selecting and integrating these Apple Vision Pro features into your app, you can create a compelling and differentiated product that delivers immersive, engaging, and valuable experiences to users, driving adoption and satisfaction in the competitive AR/VR market. Determine Your App Development Stack Once you’ve identified the features for your Apple Vision Pro app, the next step is to determine your app development stack. This involves selecting the tools, frameworks, and technologies that will enable you to bring your concept to life efficiently and effectively. Here’s how to approach this stage: Evaluate SwiftUI, ARKit, and RealityKit SwiftUI: Consider using SwiftUI for building the user interface (UI) of your app. It offers a modern and declarative approach to UI development, simplifying the process of creating dynamic and responsive interfaces for your immersive experiences. ARKit and RealityKit: For AR and VR functionalities, leverage Apple’s ARKit and RealityKit frameworks. ARKit provides powerful tools for building immersive AR experiences, while RealityKit simplifies the creation of 3D content and interactions within your app. Choose Xcode as Your IDE As the official integrated development environment (IDE) for Apple platforms, Xcode is the go-to choice for building apps for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Utilize Xcode’s robust set of tools, including its intuitive interface builder, debugging capabilities, and integrated performance analysis, to streamline your app development process. Consider Additional Tools and Libraries Explore…



Let's discuss your ideas

Contact us