The Ultimate Guide to Web AR Filters

Augmented Reality face filters have been a huge part of the growth in popularity of apps such a Snapchat and Instagram. In recent years we’ve seen a major boom in the use of Web AR filters by companies to promote their brand or product. There has always been a limiting factor though, which is that that these AR experiences are typically constrained to use within a specific app. To experience these filters live and in-action, you’d have to already have the app downloaded to your device. But now, all of that has changed. Say hello to Web AR filters, or web-based Augmented Reality filters.

Web AR Face Filters

Now brands can launch their own branded AR filter within Web-based Augmented Reality. This means that consumers can experience and try out the AR filter, accessed quickly and seamlessly on their standard iOS or Android device, all simply within the native web browser using the native phone camera. No app downloads required, meaning no barrier to entry and a significant increase in the viewership of AR experiences and therefore subsequent success rates of any campaign.

So now we know what’s possible from a technology standpoint, let’s take a look at what’s possible creatively. Alongside filters like animal faces and baby face filters, the ability to augment the latest make-up product or sunglasses style has made AR filters an exciting upgrade to traditional brand and product marketing. This is where AR filters really come into their own and provide clear value to consumer purchasing.

Web AR Filters for Virtual Product Try-on

To use a real-world example - let’s use a sunglasses brand. The brand could offer an option on their e-commerce store to ‘Try on’ the different sunglasses available on the site. Users would tap the 'Try On' button and their front facing camera would automatically activate, meaning that they can browse through the different sunglasses available and try them on within Augmented Reality to find the pair that suits them most.

Using Web AR face tracking technology, the 3D sunglasses stick to the face of the user, giving them a realistic and true-to-size demonstration at what the pair of sunglasses look like on!

Once they’ve finished virtually trying on the different styles of sunglasses, they can exit the experience to add their favourite pair to their basket and head directly to the checkout. Doesn’t that sound like a seamless and enjoyable customer experience?

Web AR Face Filters For Brand Promotions

Utilising face filters is an innovative way to get consumers to engage with a brand. When the L.A. Dodgers won the World Series for the first time since 1988, the team's sponsor Golden Road, developed a face filter which opens with a “Raise A Can To The Champs” page, which features the Dodgers Blonde Ale. The face filter puts a L.A. Dodgers cap on the user and prompts them to “Tap To Celebrate!” Once tapped, a can of Dodgers Blonde Ale appears, opens and sprays beer. The crowd cheers and confetti in the shape of baseballs, the Dodgers logo and beer cans fall around the user.

Fans can click to take a selfie to share on their social media platforms. The filter also features a “Redeem Rebate” button which takes users to an interactive Dodgers blue map, which directs users to the nearest bar or store that sells Dodgers Blonde Ale. To redeem a rebate, the link takes users to another site, to receive the promotional deal, where fans get a $7 rebate on a 15 pack of beer.

The face filter can be shared on social media, further promoting the offer to consumers and increasing awareness for the brand.

Web AR Filters for Make-Up Products

Make-up demonstration and try on is also another exciting possibility within Augmented Reality. You can give customers the ability to trial make-up virtually and let them find out what color suits them best.

There are a bunch of brands that have previously launched virtual make-up try on experiences - however because these were launched a few years ago, they used older technology and were restricted to an app-based experience. If you’re interested in launching a similar make-up experience without the need for your customers to download an app using Web AR, reach out to our team for a free consultation and our experts can advise and help bring your experience to life.

Augmented Reality product try-on is the future of consumer buying online. With ever increasing levels of high quality 3D design, consumers can get an accurate sense of the look and feel of products that previously would have required a visit in-store. This combined with the advantage of being an app-less experience through the use of web-based Augmented Reality, results in a completely seamless user-experience from start to finish.

Custom Web AR Filters Analytics

An additional valuable benefit of using Web AR Filters within a marketing campaign is that a full suite of performance analytics is available for every experience. Brands can receive secure access to a analytics dashboard, which displays all of the classic web traffic performance metrics - such as views, unique users, time on page, CTRs and geo-location. Through the analysis of this rich experience data, brands can better evaluate the behaviour characteristics of their customers and the ROI of any Web AR filter campaign.

Web AR Face Tracking

Brands can get seriously creative with their use of this technology. Delivering experiential marketing to push both brand awareness campaigns as well as increasing product sales. Web AR filters is a new technology development and something that you should certainly be considering within your marketing plan.

The Web AR development and marketing team at Aircards provide an end-to-end service for the creation and deployment of Web-based Augmented Reality experiences. If you’ve been considering rolling out the use of Augmented Reality within your business or brand marketing, feel free to take advantage of a free consultation from our expert team. Contact us to get started.

If you're interested in some more examples of web-based Augmented Reality in-action, check out this article that goes take you through our Top 5 Web AR Experiences in 2020.