However, AR usage is on the increase since Snapchat reported that over 250 million of its users, or 72 percent of its active user base, now engage with AR elements in the app every day.
As AR tech continues to expand, so too will the ways in which it can be used for more creative, engaging applications, including promotions -- and as more brands lean into these sorts of advanced activations, that then raises the bar for others to also follow suit.

But making AR is far from that straightforward act of writing a blog post or shooting a video clip. It does demand technical know-how, system knowledge, and professional skills to craft unique brand experiences in this more sophisticated medium.

Right?

Actually, that's kind of wrong.

One of the leaders in AR, on Snapchat, you can build simple, even branded, AR experiences through its Lens Web Builder, which grants access to a catalog of 3D objects and animations and templates to help you produce AR campaigns.

There's also more-sophisticated work available through Lens Studio, which requires more technical know-how but will produce a better, more customized, more unique result.

But which is better – and do you need to go all-in on AR to create a resonant, effective campaign?

That's what Snap sought to find out with its latest research report, partnering with Kantar to survey 7,800 people from the US, UK, France, and Saudi Arabia, to get their responses to simple AR Lenses, versus more sophisticated AR creative.

According to Snap:

The study found simple AR is just as effective in driving both upper and lower-funnel metrics, including brand awareness and purchase intent, as a complex, bespoke Lens. Brands with the wherewithal to execute a more advanced Lens will see incremental mid-funnel benefits in brand metrics like favorability and consideration.
So you don't necessarily have to dig too deep into 3D architecture to create resonant AR campaigns for your business, though if you can, it will help.

Snapchat does observe that the effects do vary by industry-and maybe by campaign:

For example, with the Auto campaign we were able to observe that both the stripped-down and high-end AR experience did indeed drive brand awareness, proving there is value to both executions, depending on the goals of the campaign.""
Once again you don't have to create the most amazing, world-changing AR execution to derive optimal benefits, but you do need to understand how that activation, like any ad, drives audience response.

For instance, if we take a category such as Beauty - where application of lipstick or mascara in AR can change the color of the user's lips or extend their lashes - simple Lens executions performed just as well as more sophisticated experiences in terms of both brand awareness and purchase intent.

This example underscores the need to factor in the purpose of your promotion and how AR can help in that, rather than using it as a gimmick or perspective-alerting overlay.

Those can be great too, but there are also practical, valuable ways in which you can use simple AR executions in your promotions-that don't require a doctorate in digital architecture or technology.

Which is interesting to note-and if you're interested, it's worth checking out Lens Web Builder, or downloading Lens Studio to get a feel for what's possible, and how you can create AR experiences in the app.

Not necessarily simple-of course, I have dabbled with AR tools at various times and created some pretty horrible Lenses that look okayish-but are probably not fit for public consumption. Still, with a bit of persistence and effort, you can create reasonably good-looking effects that might work for your promotions.