Amazon Fashion will use Snapchat’s augmented reality Shopping Lenses to let user virtually try-on glasses from thousands of eyewear brands.
Snapchatters will then be able to purchase glasses through Amazon as well as sharing their new specs with other Snapahat users.
This new activation is the first virtual try-on experience to result from a growing partnership between the ecommerce giant and the photo-sharing app. The two companies noted that they plan to expand into additional verticals in the future, as well.
“With the combined innovation and technology between Snap and Amazon, we are unlocking exciting and fun new try-on experiences for hundreds of millions of Snapchatters,” said Ben Schwerin, SVP of partnerships at Snap, in an announcement.
“AR eyewear is just the first step in our partnership, and we can’t wait to continue our innovation together.”
Brands such as Maui Jim, Persol, Oakley, Ray-Ban, and Costa Del Mar will have eyewear for Snapchat users to try on. The new collaboration will also see dozens of new Shopping Lenses made available across categories like sunglasses, reading glasses and seasonal glasses.
Snap has rolled out several shopping partnerships over the last year to help better appeal to retailers and brands. Product information and pricing can be updated on the platform in real time, for example, and it has introduced better analytics and made Shopping Lenses easier to create.
Other brands that have leveraged Snapchat’s AR Shopping Lenses have included MAC Cosmetics, Ulta Beauty, American Eagle, Puma, Chanel, Walmart, LVMH, eyewear brands Goodr and Zenni Optical, and recently, for Halloween, costume company Disguise.
Over the last year, Snap says 250 million Snapchat users have engaged with its AR Shopping Lenses more than 5 billion times.
Amazon will use Snap’s self-service creation system in Lens Web Builder, which allows for AR assets to be created at scale using Amazon’s existing 3D models. If the Amazon products’ prices change or an item goes out of stock, the Lenses will be automatically updated in real time, notes Snap.
To access the new Amazon AR shopping feature, Snapchat users can find the new Lenses on the @amazonfashion public profile on the Snapchat app, through Snap’s Lens Explorer, through the new “Dress-Up” tab featuring AR shopping experiences and through the Snap Camera Lens Carousel.
When they find the right pair of specs, users will be able to tap a link at the bottom of the screen. This then redirects the user to the Amazon app. According to TechCrunch, Snap does not receive a commission on the sales.
Amazon also notes that Snapchat users will now be able to browse thousands of eyewear products in the Amazon Fashion “store” tab on its profile, though these will not be AR-enabled.
