Indian Brands Using AR Filters On Instagram

There are many Indian Brands nowadays that are using AR Filters on Instagram. The quirky ‘2020 prediction for you’ or ‘Guess the Gibberish’ or ‘Which F.R.I.E.N.D.S. character are you?’, every Gen Z user on Instagram today has either used these filters or have seen their friends using these filters in their IG Story. These AR filters are easy to use, hilarious, and engaging. However, how are Indian brands using these AR filters on Instagram, and more importantly, why should these filters be a part of a digital marketing campaign?

The numbers behind the reach and engagement: 

AR applications have been around for more than a decade. Even before Pokemon Go’s popularity, Snapchat had created AR-based Snap Filters that caught the attention of many smartphone users. 

However, to beat the competition, Instagram and Facebook launched their Spark AR studio in 2019, letting anyone create and share their own filters. The filter game went from something that was just entertaining and engaging to something that could be used by brands to deliver a piece of brand communication. 

Instagram then introduced a new way of getting more filters for Stories. Instagram’s ‘Effects’ gallery allows users to browse through different AR face filters on the platform, allowing users to explore various filters created by anyone around the world.

• As per Statista, globally around 500 million people use Instagram Stories every day, as of January 2019.
  
• It’s estimated that Instagram users will spend an average of 28 minutes per day on the platform in 2020.
  
• Reports suggest that there is an 87% rise in usage of social media- more people have logged onto the app and the existing users are spending more time on it. 

• AR filters have an average engagement time of 75 secs, which is four times more than video content
  
• 200 million Instagram users visit at least one business profile daily
  
• 83% of Instagrammers said they discovered new products & services mainly through Instagram
  
• It is predicted that there will be 1 billion augmented reality users by 2020

Case Examples:

• Kylie Cosmetics was one of the first brands that explored AR- filters, by creating a “try on” for the different lipsticks from Kylie’s Lip Kits. These allowed the user to see which shade best suits their skin tone before making a purchase.

• In India in 2018, Parle’s #TheFrootiLife was a real-time face detection game that used the AR filter to create a game. The innovative mobile game was placed inside a banner ad, reaching 1.9 Million users with the brand narrative.
  
• In 2019, Puma India launched an Instagram AR & Newsfeed SmartApp game for their Rider collection. It was the country’s first Sneaker branded AR Filter, gaining over 4,000,000 impressions. 

• Uber Eats India launched the ‘Eats in a Blink’ Instagram AR game, which was played by over 1 Million People. The game was designed to increase brand recognition by exposing users to a promotional offer, which users earned as a reward at the end of the game. 

• Early this year, Swiggy created the ‘2020 Food Predictions’ that allowed users to type in what their resolutions towards food were 2020. Topics included what food they’re into presently, the kind of foodie they consider themselves to be, what dishes they wish to try out in 2020, etc.
  
• This week, OnePlus’s audience on Instagram experienced the first virtual unboxing of the brand’s product. The user had to point their camera onto a surface and an OnePlus logo would appear, followed by a box popping open. 

Conclusion: 

• AR- filters have paved the way for innovative formats to engage with a brand. Instagram has recently introduced the search tool for filters in its gallery. A user can now search for a filter from the ‘browse section’ A user can also search based on trending keywords for filters and can tap on the keywords listed. 

• AR is making its foray into healthcare, beauty, home improvement, and essential services, and brands in these sectors are actively exploring options to engage with their audiences in newer ways. The method to create interactive filters has been simplified and anyone can create a filter using Spark AR Studio. 

• AR- filters are for celebrities and fans alike- anyone can use them. This helps in creating a connection between the celebrity that is endorsing a product and its target audience, as followers get access to the same content from the brand, as the celebrity. 

Written by- Juie S. Shah