Cutting edge technology makes its way in every aspect of our lives, the most recent example being the popularity of augmented reality ads. These interactive forms of content overlay computer-generated objects on real-life images. This is the principle behind apps that allow you to see how you would look with a different haircut or a different eye colour.
YouTube Is the Latest Platform to Offer Augmented Reality Ads
Facebook broke the ice by allowing businesses to create interactive AR ads. Now, the growing trend expands to YouTube. We can safely say that YouTube is more than a social media platform. It is, in fact, the biggest search engine for video content. Thus, you should consider including it among your channels for digital marketing.
What makes YouTube advertising more effective than other types of digital ads is the fact that users cannot skip all of them. The ads being shown during a video are unskippable. The user has only two options: watch the ad and then the rest of the video, or leave the video without watching it till the end.
Why Should You Consider AR Ads?
Augmented reality ads are the most effective form of “try before you buy”. The majority of product returns are due to the fact that the item does not look like its photo or it doesn’t look good on the client. Thus, when your customers can try a product in a very realistic way from the comfort of their home, they are less likely to return an order.
Plus, AR ads are interactive and fun. People feel like they are playing a game, trying one product after the other and changing their colours. This creates an emotional attachment to the respective item – the key factor for making a purchase.
How Do Augmented Reality Ads Work on YouTube?
For now, these ads are available for the mobile app only. When the ad shows up, the screen is split in two. On the upper side, the user views the video they chose. On the bottom side, the AR ad runs.
The ad allows the user to try cosmetic products and also shows the price and a purchase button. For this purpose, YouTube activates the phone camera and the user sees their own face in the AR ad screen. With a few taps, they can try all the options offered by the ad.
When the user is happy with the result, they can tap on the button and go to the checkout page.
At the present, the YouTube AR ads are limited to cosmetic products. So far, two major brands (one of them being Sephora) started showing this type of ads.
Why Do You Need to Know About These New Ads?
Even if you do not sell cosmetic products, you should be aware of this new type of advertising offered by YouTube. If the experiment with cosmetic try-on ads is successful, the platform will probably expand augmented reality ads to other types of products.
And, looking at the general trends in digital marketing, it is most likely that cosmetic AR ads on YouTube will be successful. Soon, you will have to embrace this kind of interactive ads if you want to keep up with your competitors.
Looking Towards the Future
As more and more social media platforms embrace AR technology, a larger variety of content besides ads will be interactive. As you know from your own experience, it is very hard to impress and attract the attention of the everyday consumer. They are bombarded with content, ads, interactive and immersive experiences everywhere: outdoors, on their computers and smartphones.
Augmented reality ads are the new attention grabbers and you have the chance to be among the early adopters. Don’t miss this chance!