Meta Platforms is extending immersive experiences to brands. Facebook and Instagram Reels and Facebook Stories will soon have augmented reality brand messaging, Meta announced last week at the IAB NewFronts. Advertisers like Sephora, Tiffany & Co. and others will be able to use AR filters to market on Meta’s social platforms to reach Gen Z users. Meta is rolling out additional improvements, including third-party measurement partners for campaigns on Reels ads. Meta had previously made AR ads available in the Facebook and Instagram feeds and in Instagram Stories with what the company says is great success.

Meta claims those AR ads drove an 87 percent incremental recall with 18- to 24-year-olds, which is higher than non-AR-enabled ads. Tiffany & Co. has already tried an AR ad on the Meta socials that let users virtually browse the jewelry in their flagship store on 5th Avenue in New York City.

Sephora also tested AR Reels ads ahead of the official launch, letting users press their thumb to their mobile screen to generate an “aura vibe” filter that helped identify an appropriate fragrance. More than half of the users who activated the AR ad were Gen Z, according to Meta.

“Meta’s investment in augmented reality advertising could better position the company to compete with Snap for marketers’ ad dollars,” as they go full-bore on attracting a younger demographic, TechCrunch writes.

Last week at the NewFronts, Snap debuted its own new ad products, including the TikTok-like Spotlight and filters for Stories. But Snap’s splashiest news was that its My AI chatbot will feature sponsored links.

“In terms of AR, however, Snap has long offered ways for brands to reach its users through the format, including through a variety of AR commerce features and its popular Snapchat Lenses,” TechCrunch says, adding that the company “also works with brands that want to leverage its AR technology on their own websites and apps through its AR Enterprise Services division.”

“Meta has caught the room’s attention,” VaynerMedia global head of partnerships Peter Chun told Adweek. “They will need to continue executing for another quarter or two to force change, but this is their breaking-the-sound-barrier moment.”

Meta announced a “call to action” button for Reels ads on Facebook and Instagram that feature extra advertiser information. The company also added a “pause” feature for video ads and previews.

Related:
TikTok, Meta, Vevo Announce New Ad Products on NewFronts’ Final Day, Digiday, 5/5/23
Meta and TikTok Vie Over Ad Dollars at NewFronts, Insider Intelligence, 5/5/23
Meta May End Facebook, Instagram News Content in Canada, Bloomberg, 5/8/23