BMW Opted to Show Its New Model in AR – How Will It Change the Advertising Industry?

Augmented Reality has changed the way we enjoy entertainment, and it is already being used by big companies to provide fun and enjoyable experiences to their audience. BMW, for instance, made headlines when it used the 3D AR trial technology of Snapchat to show the X2 car. By collaborating with Snapchat, BMW was able to put Snapchat’s latest augmented trial lens to good use when it enables customers to try their latest vehicle. The experience lets customers customize the X2’s colors and view it from different angles.

Snapchat is a popular photo-sharing app that is young and modern, two features that represent the BMW X2 and BMW itself. The app began to provide BMW’s AR experience for the X2 on November 22, 2017. BMW is first to create a 3D AR version of their product as part of their new ad campaign. The X2 is the latest in BMW’s X series of vehicles. Its fuel consumption is 6.4 to 4.5 1/100km, with combined CO2 emissions of 114 to 118 g/km. The luxury brand already reached millions of audiences across Europe in late October with the X2 Face Lens in Galvanic Gold. When using Face Lens for selfies, it colors your face with the car’s distinctive gold finish. The feature became available to Snapchat users in France, the UK, Spain, Italy, and Germany when the X2 communications campaign began in early November.

Another notable aspect of Snapchat for the BMW X2 is the experience that enabled users to place a 3D model of the car in their physical environment. The X2 is gold by default, but Snapchatters may repaint it in blue and red using the app. They can look inside the vehicle, too. By using Snapchat for their promotional campaign, BMW is able to appeal to its target audience and effectively promote its new vehicle to discerning users. By doing this, the company can influence the advertising industry to make it shift from digital advertising to mediums that can provide fun and meaningful experiences to the audience.