Meta Unveils Reels AR Ad Campaign Tools

Meta plans to ramp up its AR solutions toolkit to boost advert revenues and engage audiences

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Augmented RealityLatest News

Published: May 5, 2023

Demond Cureton

Meta Platforms has launched its augmented reality (AR) solution for Instagram Reels, allowing Instagram users to view augmented real-time 3D (RT3D) content on the social media platform.

Global media reported on Thursday that social media fans will also receive them across Instagram and Facebook feeds.

Spark AR creators can now use the Menlo Park-based firm’s downloadable guide to receive product information, content creation, and other tips to deliver top-quality AR effects.

The company has also provided documentation at its Spark AR Learn Hub to educate users on AR content rolling out across Instagram Reels. It also plans to unveil a series of enhancements to the service in due course.

Meta’s AR Drive

The news comes after a major Meta survey noted a massive 87 percent advertising engagement with users aged 18 to 24.

It also focused on ten brands with business-as-usual (BA) campaigns along with campaigns leveraging augmented reality advertisements. The survey found with 90 percent confidence that campaigns with a mix of BAU and AR adverts surpassed BAU campaigns without AR.

Results with AR advertisements nearly tripled brand lift compared to BAU ads, the survey found. It added campaigns also reached the results with a 59 percent less expenses than BAU adverts.

How Do Meta Reels AR Adverts Work?

Meta also plans to boost interactivity on Reels Ads by posting call-to-action buttons to offer additional data on brands posting adverts.

Buttons can provide headlines, thumbnails, and further details for brands and their solutions. Users can also pause video Meta AR ads and preview link destinations. This will take place with a carousel feature that allows users to scroll and swipe across multiple products while remaining in Reels.

Further third-party measurement tools will allow Meta Reels AR Ad campaigners to use IAS, DoubleVerify, and MOAT to report viewability and verify advert authenticity.

Nicola Mendelsohn, Mead of Global Business Group, Meta, said in a statement that the new Meta AR adverts were “driving efficiency” by “eliminating many of the manual and tedious steps of creating an ad.”

According to the exec, Meta’s investments in AR were “already paying off with Meta Advantage,” the company’s AI products brand.

She concluded: “Meta Advantage leverages machine learning and AI to help advertisers test and learn but to also realize their campaigns fast and help them acquire and grow their customer base.”

To date, companies such as Sephora and Tiffany & Co tested the new solution ahead of its launch, where users could press their thumbs on the phone screen to create ‘aura vibes’ and select perfumes for purchase.

Snap Snaps Back with AR Upgrades

The announcement comes after Snap revealed similar services at the IAB NewFronts event, where it unveiled First Story. The solution, which allows advertisers to book the first video ad between Friend Stories, opened after First Commercial and First Lens, the company explained.

First adopters of the immersive advertising tool included Warner Bros, Louis Vuitton, and many others. Other solutions include its Snap Star Collab Studio, a provider of end-to-end services for brands leveraging Snap Stars.

Partner firms Studio71, Beeline by Brat TV, Whalar, and Influential backed Snap Stars and The Collab Studio. Further sports partnerships launched with NBCUniversal’s Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the Women’s World Cup. Both will receive exclusive, bespoke content for Snapchat Stories, Camera, and Spotlight.

Ongoing partnerships with the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) will offer Stories and Spotlight content, among others.

AR Lenses will also receive artificial intelligence (AI) updates to Snapchat’s My AI chatbot. This will provide better contextual interactions for conversations, assistance, and other functions.

Meta’s Mainland Resurgence

The news comes as Meta works to boost its revenues following a disappointing first quarter (Q1), revealing a 51 percent drop in its Reality Labs earnings.

Despite this, the Chinese market has allowed Meta to boost its income after the latter accelerated its marketing and advertising outreach to the mainland. Numerous measures, including easing COVID-19 restrictions and lower shipping costs, have boosted Meta’s standing in its global operations.

Sales reportedly jumped 3 percent year-over-year, topping $28.7 billion in Q1. Meta also opened talks in February with Chinese tech giant Tencent to enter Chinese markets and sell its Quest lineup of headsets.

 

 

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