By the end of this summer, you’ll be able to try out and buy items straight from your Facebook app. The social media giant recently announced that, in addition to their existing Augmented Reality (AR) product experiences in Messenger, they are rolling out new AR commerce advertisements in the News Feed.
AR allows consumers to interact with computer-generated images superimposed on real-world objects to create virtual experiences, all within their mobile phone’s camera. Does the “Pokémon Go” craze of 2016 ring any bells? According to the Boston Consulting Group, around 80 million people interact with AR each month, and this number is expected to keep growing.
Ty Ahmad-Taylor, vice president of product marketing at Facebook’s global marketing solutions division, says, “People now expect a personalized and visually inspiring experience wherever they shop – whether on their phone or in-store.” Michael Kors led the charge with a Facebook ad campaign that allowed users to “try on” and then purchase sunglasses. The AR ads will continue to be tested by a variety of brands in multiple industries over the course of the summer and beyond.
Facebook’s new AR ads appear like any others in the News Feed, but feature a “Tap to Try On” button that launches the AR capabilities. If a consumer is satisfied with the way a product appears in AR, they can then continue to make a purchase from within the Facebook app. Ahmad-Taylor says, “People traditionally have to go into stores to do this – people still really love that experience, but they would like to try it at home.”
So what does this mean for the future of Facebook advertising? Facebook states, “Now, with the introduction of AR ads in Facebook News Feed, people can experiment with your brand’s AR camera effects in just one click from your ad. And by incorporating calls to action within the camera experience, people can seamlessly go from engaging with your product – such as trying on a lipstick shade or exploring a new game – to making a purchase or installing an app.”
For now, Facebook is only offering select advertisers access to AR ads that run in the News Feed and plans to roll out AR ads more broadly during 2018, but did not divulge any specific dates or note which industries will gain access.