Snapchat Announces New Partnership with WPP to Advance AR and eCommerce Adoption

Snapchat has announced a new partnership with advertising giant WPP which will see the two work together on new projects that will facilitate the creation of AR ads for WPP clients, helping to advance digital ad options for many more businesses around the world, while also boosting Snapchat’s revenue potential.

As explained by WPP:

“With a particular focus on e-commerce, the partnership combines Snap’s leading AR technology with WPP’s integrated capabilities across creative, media, commerce and technology, allowing WPP clients to better connect with their customers on the Snapchat platform and drive meaningful business results through AR.”

The mention of eCommerce here is important, with Snap working on a range of new AR tools to facilitate eCommerce discovery, including an expanding array of digital ‘Try-on’ tools, as well as virtual products for digital avatars, a rising area of interest.

The main focus of the collaboration will be the development of a new ‘AR Lab’, which will facilitate the creation of AR ad campaigns, giving WPP clients exclusive access to Snapchat’s advanced AR features.

Snap will also collaborate with WPP on new products and technology, and provide insight into user trends, while it will also train WPP staff on evolving AR tools and techniques.

“The partnership will further develop WPP’s AR capability through a structured learning and development curriculum via the AR Lab Academy, an industry-first training program centered on AR technology and products. With support from a dedicated team at Snap, the program aims to certify a minimum of one thousand WPP employees by the end of this year.”

The partnership is a big win for both WPP and Snap. WPP operates regional agencies in 110 countries, and works with many big brands, providing more opportunity for Snap to showcase its ad offerings to big spending businesses.

That will also give Snapchat more impetus, and resources, to continue its AR development, and with the arrival of AR glasses, and broader mainstream adoption of the tech, that could help Snap remain at the forefront of the next key shift, which will help advance eCommerce to the next stage.  

And for WPP’s clients, the potential is clear. Recent research commissioned by Snap indicates that by 2025, nearly 75% of the global population, and almost all smartphone users will be frequent AR users.

In addition to this, 94% of people are expecting to increasingly use AR for shopping purposes.

With advancing features, aligned with the rise of eCommerce, and new technology bringing AR into the mainstream, the partnership could go a long way in securing significant opportunities for both companies.