What’s AR?

Augmented Reality. It’s basically inserting a virtual object, landscape, scene into your actual physical reality creating an immersive experience for the user.

With AR filters we can use mobile phones to add objects into a person’s world, transport them into a different place, change their face, appearance, give them make up to try, lightening effects to interact with, create a gaming experience or help users try products before they buy them.

Why are AR filters trending?

AR filters are raging. They’ve taken over the digital world by storm and this storm is not about to die down.

Consider these facts – 

According to the AR Insider, global mobile AR revenue is projected to grow from $6.87 billion in 2020 to $26.05 billion in 2025, a 30.5 percent CAGR.

Brands like Netflix, Gucci, Lego, Adidas and H&M are heavily investing in creating their own AR experiences for users. Why? It gets results.

Oh boy! Does it get results!

Research shows users spend an average of  75 seconds engaging with AR experiences, that’s a whopping 4 times longer than engagement on videos.

Not just that, AR experiences have a 70% higher memory recall as compared to non-AR experiences. This makes the AR experiences extremely memorable for consumers and as we know memory affects purchase behaviour. Hence brands are more likely to get conversions by creating AR immersions for their audience.

More than ⅘ of brands consider AR marketing a differentiated way to engage with their customers. 

And 9 out of 10 brands plan on using AR in their campaigns. 

How can you use AR filters for your brand?

The sky’s the limit. Here are some of the ways big brands have been using AR filters to create a cacophony in the market and yield positive results – 

• Launch a new product
• Create a ‘Try Before You Buy’ experience – this has resulted in more online conversions and lesser returns for brands.
• Create a memorable engagement.
• Create mini-games to play.
• Generate virality with user generated content.

Pop Communications has end-to-end AR filter packages, from conceptualising the idea to designing, programming and hosting it for you on your pages – whether it’s your brands page or personal page.

The Before-After Picture 

Previously, AR filters were a closed platform with only instagram holding exclusive rights to create and upload filters on their platform for users to interact with. Remember the dog face, hearts and arrows shooting on your face and the sunglasses filter, that were trending so hard, we’re sure you were able to picture them right now with just their mentions.

But now facebook and instagram have opened up the platform to creators and brands to use the filter experience for their followers and benefit from all the engagement they can virtually and literally create.

The future for AR is also looking very bright

Facebook has announced that AR filters can now be used in a Messenger Room or on a Messenger video call. These AR experiences are called “Group Effects,” which will become more robust after Facebook expands access to the Spark AR Multipeer API. With that, more creators and developers will be able to make Group Effects.

Not just that, you can now use AR in Facebook and Instagram ads! And you bet, they can significantly improve your campaign performance.

You can create immersive experiences, encourage people to try out your products virtually and inspire people to interact with your brand.

Take a beauty brand for example – a user will now be able to check out the different lipstick colours on their face right within their social feed, decide whether they like it, want to make a purchase and then shop within the same platform. All in one smooth consumer journey. Mac Cosmetics has already hopped on this wagon. And soon, others will follow.

Facebook has already collaborated with Ray-Ban and released Ray-Ban Stories – the first-generation AR Smart Glasses.

Apple’s not too far behind either, their AR Glasses are rumoured to be launched in 2023.

AR may sound futuristic and immensely expensive. But that’s not the case. In fact AR filters are more affordable than you may think.

Connect with a digital agency that provides the service and get a cost estimate. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the feasibility and speed that you can get your own unique filter running.

Keep in mind – 

Keep in mind a 10 day buffer from the day you submit your filter in review for facebook and instagram to approve.

With the high frequency of filter requests the platform is receiving everyday, the approval time may take upto 10 days but many filters may get approved in as less as 2 hours.

Big Brands are creating multiple filters.

As part of their on-going brand strategy, major brands are playing with the innovation and coming up with a different filter at regular intervals to keep things ‘fresh’ for their followers. You can update your existing filter after sometime or come up with a brand new one to keep your users engaged.

So here’s the unfiltered truth:

Your brand needed an AR filter yesterday. If you haven’t already got one or two, it’s time you dip your feet in the immersive pool. Play with the innovation, learn from it because this is undeniably the space where digital advertising is flowing. The sooner you start learning from the experience and gaining from it the better your brand will benefit in the future.

Soon your next campaign briefs will involve AR advertising for your consumers. Start with AR filters as your learning ground.

Good luck! Make your AR filters POP!

For more information, cost estimates and a personal consultation – 

E: [email protected] or Call 9820354646.