Introduction to Augmented Reality in Movie Marketing
When the marketing team at Sony Pictures was preparing for the discharge of "Morbius," they knew one among their biggest challenges can be introducing the relatively obscure Marvel superhero to potential moviegoers. So they teamed up with Snapchat to create an augmented reality (AR) lens that not only showcases Dr. Michael Morbius, the vampire portrayed within the film by Jared Leto, but in addition can turn Snapchatters into him.
How the AR Lens Works
Selecting the lens using Snapchat’s camera transforms half the user’s face into Morbius’ and deepens their voice into his signature baritone. Flip the camera out of selfie mode and the lens prompts Snapchat’s world scanning technology to mimic Morbius’ echolocation powers, bouncing light and hold forth of nearby objects.
The Goal of the Marketing Team
"Our goal is all the time to one-up ourselves," Sony EVP of worldwide digital marketing Elias Plishner told Insider. For him and the teams behind such movies as Netflix’s "Don’t Look Up," Warner Bros.’ "Dune," and MGM’s "House of Gucci," Snapchat’s AR technology provided the chance for campaigns to face out with the app’s 500 million monthly lively users, who include 90% of all 13-24-year-olds within the US.
Reaching a Young Audience
"We have audiences that are usually not on TikTok, not on Facebook or Instagram, really hard to succeed in on Twitter," said Alexa Levine, US head of entertainment at Snapchat’s parent company. "You cannot really find them anywhere else." What’s more, the app’s audience is especially enthusiastic about filmed entertainment, in keeping with an NRG report the corporate released last 12 months that showed Snapchatters were 1.7x more likely than individuals who don’t use the app to see a movie in theaters on premiere weekend.
The Power of Snapchat’s AR
Snapchat’s AR takes hold of that audience: According to the corporate, 200 million people engage with AR on its platform every day. And in 2021, theatrical campaigns that utilized Snapchat AR lenses along with video ad buys saw a mean 32% incremental reach. Universal Pictures created a Snapchat AR lens to advertise "Halloween Kills."
The Importance of AR in Movie Marketing
"My team’s job is to place butts in seats for these theatrical clients," said Levine. "The truth is, if you wish to try this today, you’ve got to be within the camera and you’ve got to make use of AR since you is not going to get as much incremental reach [without it]." As a result, for studios like Universal Pictures, Snapchat’s AR lenses have change into indispensable when marketing a brand new film.
Creative Freedom with Snapchat
"We’re working with them for all of our titles," said Alex Sanger, Universal’s EVP global digital marketing, who recently ran lenses for M. Night Shyamalan thriller "Old," which premiered exclusively in theaters, and "Marry Me," the Jennifer Lopez romcom that streamed on Peacock the identical day it debuted in cinemas. "Their AR tech is top shelf, they usually just are continuing to develop really great technology," said Sanger of Snapchat. "That really allows us lots of creative freedom. We can give you the larger ideas with Snapchat and have the option to execute them."
Social Interaction and the Metaverse
Marketers just like the platform partially since it encourages social interaction — users frequently send messages and photos to one another through the app. "We want people to essentially devour our content, spend lots of time with it, hopefully pass it along to their friends and followers," said Plishner. Snapchat’s AR technology also lets movie studios dabble within the metaverse — that squishy buzzword that encompasses a spread of virtual experiences.
Measuring Success
Though it’s hard to find out just how many individuals convert from interacting with a Snapchat lens into buying a movie ticket, there are other metrics that may add as much as success. For the "Morbius" lens, for instance, Plishner was focused on engagement. "Of all of the lenses we have done, I feel it has the longest play time," he said.
Conclusion
The use of augmented reality in movie marketing is becoming increasingly popular, and Snapchat is on the forefront of this trend. With its massive user base and advanced AR technology, the platform provides a singular opportunity for movie studios to succeed in and have interaction with their audience. As the entertainment industry continues to evolve, it would be exciting to see how Snapchat’s AR capabilities proceed to shape the best way movies are marketed and promoted.
