We blinked, and another year is winding down. With the holidays approaching, many businesses are looking for a last hurrah to close off the final quarter. Soon, you’ll see sparkly snowflake-covered storefronts and newsletters from Santa being delivered to your inbox, notifying you of 30% off sales at your local mall. As always, companies will push holiday-themed products and create unique deals to entice customers during the season. These tricks are as old as advertising itself. But what if there was a better way to set your company and products apart during the Christmas holidays? Augmented Reality Christmas might be the answer!
Why choose Augmented Reality for your Christmas campaign?
Augmented Reality (AR) has slowly gained popularity among marketers over the past few years. In fact, the AR market is projected to be worth over $53.7 billion by 2027 (Statista), and there should be around 6.7 billion AR users worldwide by that year (Poplar). And yet, studies show that most of the population is unfamiliar with this technology. For example, a study showed that over 70% of Americans still aren’t sure what AR actually is. These studies reveal that AR remains novel, especially among older generations, and, when used correctly, can set you apart from competitors in fascinating ways. So, how and why should you incorporate this powerful tool into your next Augmented Reality Christmas campaign? Let’s find out!
Benefits of Augmented Reality in your Christmas strategies
In recent years, Augmented Reality has taken the world by storm, with AR Filters on social platforms and popular games like Pokémon GO attracting millions of users around the globe. But leveraging this technology for your business is a different story. AR can provide companies with unique and interactive solutions for their customers by combining elements of the ‘real’ and virtual worlds. This new trend is revolutionizing the marketing and sales game and quickly becoming one of the most popular options in B2C marketplaces.
Aside from interactive elements that entice consumers more than average advertising, AR is also readily accessible and easy to use. For example, users don’t need any special or expensive equipment to experience your Augmented Reality Christmas campaign. Now, it is possible to use AR on any browser and with almost any device. In particular, most AR experiences are optimized for smartphone cameras, so anyone with a smartphone can enjoy the experience.
Since there are so many ways AR can enhance traditional marketing campaigns, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite use cases to showcase the power of this technology.
1. Augmented Reality Christmas Card
Let’s start with a simple and effective way to incorporate AR into your Christmas campaign is creating an augmented reality Christmas card with Print AR, or the use of augmented reality on printed materials – such as magazines, advertisements or even business cards. The above video shows an example of an augmented reality christmas card used to surprise and engage with the audience.
2. Augmented Reality Santa
What’s Christmas without Santa Claus? Augmented Reality can bring Santa to life in a whole new way. Imagine a virtual Santa Claus appearing in your living room, interacting with your children, and even taking personalized gift requests. This is all possible with Augmented Reality Santa experiences.
Many brands and businesses have used AR to create memorable Santa encounters. Whether it’s through mobile apps, AR glasses, or social media filters, Augmented Reality Santa experiences add a touch of magic to the holiday season. Children and adults alike can enjoy the thrill of virtually meeting Santa and sharing their wishes. These interactive Santa encounters can be a fantastic addition to your holiday marketing campaign, offering a unique and engaging way to connect with your audience and make their holidays even more special.
3. IKEA Christmas AR App
A few years ago, IKEA (a long-time proponent of AR technology) launched an excellent Christmas campaign to boost sales of its decorative pine trees. Customers could choose from a selection of beautifully decorated Christmas trees and place them in their homes to see how well they fit. We love seeing AR used for entertainment and sales, with some seasonal twists!
4. Pepsi AR Bus Stop
A video that went viral a few years ago showed some unsuspecting commuters getting the surprise of their life when they began seeing asteroids, wild animals, and alien invasions in London. Pepsi launched a campaign to support its Pepsi Max drink. Instead of using traditional billboard advertising, they installed an AR screen at a bus stop that gave the illusion that the halt was see-through. This is another fun and unique way that AR can bring life to any campaign!
5. AR Filter for Dr. Oetker
Let’s finish with the most obvious and readily available type of augmented reality solution: the AR filter. Filters are an easy way to increase engagement and shareability of social profiles. But there are right and wrong ways to use AR Filters for your business. This AR Filter campaign from Dr. Oetker shows how incorporating immersive technology can elevate a typical marketing campaign. The campaign was launched to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of their famous ‘Mole Hill’ cake. To support the campaign, Dr. Oetker launched a game filter that could be played and shared on Instagram and Facebook. The filter was an incredible success and became the single most shared piece of content on their social platforms.
🎁 BONUS: AI Photo Booth for Christmas Events
AI-powered photo booths are revolutionizing personalization with advanced facial recognition technology, enhancing the user experience like never before. An AI photo booth instantly customizes photos with themes, making sharing and printing easy. Businesses use this interactive feature to increase engagement, enhance brand visibility, expand the impact of their events on social media, and promote their products and services by choosing from preset filters or creating personalized ones.
Another fantastic use of AR is in packaging filters. Forget rebranding your products for every season with boring designs, and instead make them come alive with the use of AR! This Oreo packaging filter is a simple example of the beauty this technology can achieve. Imagine glowing twinkle lights, whirling snowflakes, or Santa himself flying around your product. Adults and children alike will have a blast using their phones to experience the effects for themselves!
Create your AR Christmas Solution. Where do We Start?
The opportunities to incorporate AR into campaigns are endless, so don’t let this list limit your imagination! And if you’re stuck on where to start, don’t worry – our experienced team of designers and marketers will help you sketch out some plans before the big campaign.
