WPP and Snap team up for The AR Lab

WPP and Snap have announced a global partnership called The AR Lab to help brands build and deliver immersive experiences for consumers using augmented reality (AR). With a particular focus on eCommerce, the partnership combines Snap’s 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.

As Snap’s inaugural Agency AR partner, WPP will collaborate with Snap on new products and technology, such as the recently-launched Snapchat Trends tool, which allows teams to use proprietary insights and data to inform creative and campaign development. WPP will also gain access to a custom AR Lab Strategy Guide, which includes best practices to inform creative development using Snap’s AR technology.

In addition, WPP and Snap will implement a co-developed custom optimisation scorecard for WPP clients, which will be used to generate more effective campaigns. WPP and Snap’s methodology will provide insights into the performance of these campaigns, allowing teams to measure success and adapt in real-time. GroupM, WPP’s media buying arm, has doubled its 2021 social AR investment in the last year.

The partnership will further develop WPP’s AR capability through a structured learning and development curriculum via the AR Lab Academy, a training programme centred on AR technology and products. With support from a dedicated team at Snap, the programme aims to certify a minimum of 1,000 WPP employees by the end of this year. In addition, Snap will 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 US, and for the most innovative AR experiences, Snap will provide funding to bring the winning campaigns to life on Snapchat at scale.