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AR Makeup – An Interactive New Advertising Experience
AR Beauty Try-On campaign – an innovative makeup campaign in collaboration with YouTube
Google is one of few brands that are the key driving force behind AR innovation, only recently introducing AR makeup functions in their search results, allowing users to view and interact with 3D models of certain animals when they search via Google. One of their more interesting additions is AR Beauty Try-On which launched on YouTube around 2019, which aimed to tap on the well-known beauty gurus and their vast audience on the platform, creating an attractive experience that is also practical to them.
Before making a makeup or skincare purchase, many consumers often search on YouTube and see what the influencers and beauty gurus say about these products. Thus there is an influx of brands collaborating with these YouTubers, as an effective communication channel, to reach their targeted consumer groups. With the AR Beauty Try-On function, consumers can try AR cosmetics while watching videos on YouTube, with the ultimate aim of creating a new type of interactive advertising through this experience. As consumers watch the YouTubers unpacking specific brands of cosmetics, there is a “virtual makeup” function which allows them to see how the lipstick, for example, looks on their face.
(Image Source: VRSCOUT)
Compared with regular, non-interactive advertising videos, AR Beauty Try-On taps on artificial intelligence (AI) and AR to provide different products for consumers to try on, so they see how these colours reflect on their different skin tones, creating a more realistic experience for the consumers. Around 30% of target consumers tested the “virtual makeup” AR function during its trial period, spending an average of 80 seconds trying on different lipstick colours. However, it is undetermined whether the interest and attention is due to the products experience, or because this advertising experience is something new and never-before seen.
Compared with non-interactive advertising videos, AR Beauty Try-On relies on AI and AR augmented reality technology to provide products for trial use in different skin tones, making the consumer experience more realistic. Youtube iSO has 30% in the test process Of people used the AR interaction of “virtual makeup try-on” and spent an average of 80 seconds trying lipstick colors. However, it is still unclear whether such attention is due to this application is still a new way.
Despite its Alpha launch, it can still be accessed on Famebit by YouTube, and MAC Cosmetics is the first brand to be partnered with the AR Beauty Try-On. As the future is moving towards a virtual, contactless direction, we foresee that more brands will start using AR integration in their makeup and skincare offerings in the coming future.