Beauty brand L'Oreal recently launched a sponsored Snapchat lens that promoted the new Infallible Silkissime eyeliner. The augmented reality filter applied a virtual makeup look on users that included a cat eye, mascara, foundation, blush and a bit of lipstick, while the lens also featured the brand's logo in the bottom left-hand corner.
The L'Oreal sponsored Snapchat filter ran in the United States over a 24-hour period over the first weekend of June 2016.
Notably, the sponsored Snapchat lens was designed the platform's in-house design team, who also helped design Taco Bell's recent Cinco de Mayo campaign. Essentially, in working directly with clients to design expensive 24-hour campaigns, brands like L'Oreal are subverting the normal process of brokering the deal through an ad agency.
Beauty Brand Makeup Lenses
L'Oreal Ran a Sponsored Snapchat Lens That Applied Eyeliner to Users
Trend Themes
1. AR Makeup Filters - There's an opportunity for startups to develop AR/VR intimate fashion and makeup technology that enables customers to see and buy beauty products directly from an app.
2. Social Media Advertising - Brands that create strategic in-house teams can provide a faster and more cost-effective marketing strategy, and those that master social media advertising can rapidly increase sales from a younger demographic.
3. Sponsored Snapchat Lenses - The increasing popularity of Snapchat opens up new interests for advertisers looking for a fun and engaging way to reach a younger demographic effectively.
Industry Implications
1. Beauty - Companies can leverage augmented reality and social media to produce more customized and engaging customer experiences and fill the need for personalized virtual beauty consultations.
2. Social Media - Using in-house design teams to produce viral social media campaigns can increase brands' social media presence, engagement, and ultimately, revenue.
3. Advertising - By taking advantage of sponsored Snapchat lenses and other interactive ads, businesses of all sizes can increase visibility, brand recognition, and sales in an ever-growing social media-driven marketing landscape.