WPP and Snapchat launch AR partnership

WPP is about to learn a lot about Snap’s augmented reality tools. Today the two companies announced a new partnership that will give WPP and its clients an inside track using Snap’s AR technology and resources, with a focus on driving e-commerce. The partnership will give WPP more access to Snap’s AR technology, including classes on how to use it, creative production and campaign measurement. “AR has a major role to play in the future of marketing and commerce, from virtual try-on to immersive digital experiences,” Sanja Partalo, executive VP of strategic development and partnerships at WPP, said in a statement. “Snap has built an impressive AR platform and we are delighted to partner with them to ensure our people can access Snap’s latest AR technology and in turn develop richer, more innovative commerce solutions for our clients and their customers.” As Snap’s first Agency AR partner, WPP will also get a custom AR Lab Strategy Guide, which includes best practices from Snap on its AR technology. The brands will also collaborate on new products and technology, such as Snapchat’s recent Trends tool, which allows marketers to see what was trending on Snapchat in the last week. To cover all this, WPP will be given tutorials and training on Snap’s AR technology and how to build new activations for clients. Snap wants to certify a minimum of 1,000 WPP employees by the end of the year. Snapchat has leaned into its AR offerings to drive e-commerce sales. Last year, Snapchat launched profiles for brands to build a permanent landing page in the app where their brand content can live. Profiles contain videos, product catalogs, brand AR Lenses and “shop” buttons. With the holidays approaching, social media platforms have been vying to become shopping destinations. Snap will also sponsor a quarterly AR production competition for WPP clients. The competition will focus on clients in key markets, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom and the United States. For the most innovative AR experiences, Snap will provide funding to bring the winning campaigns to life on Snapchat at scale. As part of the partnership, WPP and Snap will implement a co-developed custom optimization scorecard for WPP clients, which will be used to build more effective campaigns, and update them in real time. GroupM, WPP’s media buying arm, has doubled its 2021 social AR investment in the last year, according to the announcement. “Over 200 million Snapchatters engage with AR every day,” David Roter, VP of global agency partnerships at Snap, said in a statement. “This partnership will help brands reach that community through the camera in ways that are engaging, impactful and drive real business results. We are thrilled to debut this initiative with WPP and look forward to driving this important frontier in marketing and commerce together with their clients around the globe.” This isn’t WPPs first partnership with a social media app. In February, WPP sealed an agency partnership with TikTok.

WPP and Snapchat launch AR partnership

Featured Stories