The Situation
Augmented Reality is one of the most talked about technologies of 2018. Brands are jumping on opportunities to differentiate themselves by utilizing AR within their products, advertising, retail experiences, and more.
Generally, brands are using AR in one of two ways:
- An adaption of AR technology to drive a functional benefit (Ikea’s “Place” app to help furniture shoppers design their own home)
- An execution/stunt that utilizes AR to flex tech muscles and offer people an interesting brand experience (Kate Spade’s “My Little Paris Tapage” that guided users through Paris to generate buzz around their first brick-and-mortar store)
A Recent AR Experience that Stands Out
Outdoor Voices is an athleisure company that has quickly risen in popularity to compete with athletic superpowers like Lululemon, Sweaty Betty, and Adidas. Their motto, “Doing Things” speaks not only to the athlete, but to the person who might just want to enjoy going outside to take a leisurely stroll or bike ride.
Outdoor Voices recently announced on their Instagram Stories the launch of a trail running line. The announcement invited participants to download the OV Trail Shop app. On launch day, the collection would only be available to shop at 50 select running locations around the country.
The brand also invited fans to meet at their brick-and-mortar stores to participate in the launch by running to the first locations unveiled within the app.
A couple of Camp + Kingers (and OV superfans) geared up to meet at 7:30am at the store in Hayes Valley. The group then ran to the secret location, Dolores Park, to shop the collection.
Once at the virtual shop, using the app people could walk up to an item of clothing, move it, see the inside and outside and different color options, and directly buy it there.
While this experience is fun and buzzworthy, what stands out is that it capitalizes so well on the Outdoor Voices “Doing Things” motto. Fans actually needed to go outside and do something in order to shop the new line. The experience was able to be both a fun stunt and a statement of OV’s core belief.
How Can We Learn from This?
The OV Trail Shop app is an example of a brand doing an AR execution right. The following are some things to keep in mind when thinking about utilizing augmented reality for a brand experience:
-
Don’t use AR just to use AR.
Brands often utilize AR to capitalize on its trendiness rather than provide an experience that makes a brand statement. Ask yourself, how does this showcase what my brand is all about? How can this change or reinforce what my customer believes about my brand? - Introduce the launch on mobile and continue to tell a story there.
OV knew their audience was very engaged on Instagram Stories so that’s where they teased the launch. They continued to publish Instagram content that showed all the launch runs with #RunwithOV to further drive excitement. Show your audience how this experience is bringing the brand’s community together. - Utilize Superfans to help spread the word.
The ROI of downloading a branded app is far greater than a like on your Facebook post because it involves so much more from your audience. Engage your superfans who are eager and willing to participate, get a first look, and talk about your brand. - Ensure there is usability beyond the initial launch.
This is one critique of the Outdoor Voices experience as there has not been an update to the app since the launch. Since a consumer is downloading an app, keep them intrigued with new updates and experiences.
