At its yearly Snap Partner Summit held last month, Snapchat unveiled a host of new features including a global shoe try-on creation. The platform is now rolling out its first big-brand partnership utilizing the AR feature with four styles of footwear from Gucci. The luxury label is sponsoring an AR lens that displays virtual versions of its shoes on a Snapchat user’s feet. Gucci created four digital pairs of shoes, including its Gucci Ace, Gucci Rhyton, Gucci Tennis 1977, and Gucci Screener. When Snapchat users launch the lens, a “shop now” button will also appear on screen that allows for immediate purchase through the app. Snapchat is releasing the feature to users in nine countries, including the U.S., U.K, and Japan, but could expand to further markets in the future.
Gucci is the first luxury label to sponsor a global Snapchat AR lens that lets users “try on” a product before purchase. By launching the feature during the Coronavirus pandemic, the brand could reach international consumers whose local Gucci stores may still be closed. Building an immersive social media experience could also engage home-bound consumers looking for fashionable entertainment, potentially inspiring them to follow the brand on Snapchat. Gucci’s presence on the platform reflects a renewed effort to innovate how it releases and promotes products on social media to adapt to consumer shopping preferences, according to a Gartner report. The brand’s shoe try-on lens is its second effort with Snapchat, following a promotion of its tropical collection last year via a “portal lens” during the 2019 holiday season. By once again marketing its products through AR technology, Gucci could expand its audience reach as well as begin recovering from lost sales by doubling down on e-commerce.
Gucci is returning to Snapchat with another AR lens, but this time customers that like what they see can buy it on the spot. By debuting the lens during the Coronavirus pandemic, Gucci could connect with younger, homebound shoppers looking for an out of the (shoe)box experience.
Credit: Gartner – Click here to view the article
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