Dive Brief:
- Snap has teamed with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco to create an augmented reality (AR) try-on experience within a new art exhibition,“Fashioning San Francisco: A Century of Style,” according to details shared with Marketing Dive.
- With Snap’s AR Mirrors technology, museum visitors will be able to virtually try on three evening ensembles from the exhibit. The experience will be offered for the duration of the installation, which runs from Jan. 20 to Aug. 11 in the museum’s de Young facility.
- Snap has previously worked with artists and institutions, though its latest move marks the first time its AR Mirrors have been featured in a U.S. museum. The effort signals the continued bets the company has placed on the buzzy tech that overlays virtual images on real ones.
Dive Insight:
Even as Snap works to grow its artificial intelligence know-how, the partnership with the de Young underscores how AR remains a top priority. Using Snap’s AR Mirrors tech, exhibition visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the creative vision of designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino and Kaisik Wong. The move could help the museum effectively reach digitally native young consumers, like Gen Z.
“Our partnership with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco is a testament to how augmented reality can infiltrate culture, encourage creativity and self-expression, and bring historic couture to life like never before,” said Rajni Jacques, Snap’s global head of fashion & beauty, in a statement.
Snap has a history of working with artists and artistic institutions, such as Alex Israel, Christian Marclay and Damien Hirst, along with France’s the Louvre. However, its latest move marks a first for its AR Mirrors being featured in a U.S. museum. Other activations using the tech have included collaborations with brands like Nike and Verizon.
Similar plays by Snap have included a 2022 tie-up with The Los Angeles County Museum of Art for a digital series inclusive of three artistic AR experiences accessible through Snapchat. Outside of Snap, marketers have looked to AR as a tool to add another dimension to art. In recent months, Chips Ahoy and Verizon have used AR to enhance art exhibits by multicultural youth and to bring elements of The Metropolitan Museum of Art to gaming platform Roblox, respectively.
Snap reported a 5% year-over-year revenue boost to $1.19 billion in the third quarter of 2023, per an earnings statement. Positive revenue growth followed a stretch of declines earlier in the year, including its first-ever quarterly revenue fall in Q1. The company is expected to report its Q4 2023 earnings on Feb. 6.
