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A three-dimensional, true-to-scale model of Burberry’s signature Lola bag in quilted lambskin with the TB monogram is possible in your living room.
That’s thanks to a new augmented reality (AR) tool on the UK luxury brand’s website that “simulates the in-store experience” by allowing customers to position the bag in various live scenarios, such as against their outfit or placed on a table next to other personal items, to give a sense of its size. The view of the bag is 360-degree enabled and even includes the inside. It was produced by 3D and AR solution platform Vertebrae, owned by Snapchat parent company Snap Inc.
Easier and faster tools to make realistic 3D assets and the ability to use AR try-on tools within a retailer’s own app are part of a new update from Snapchat.
This is one of the first examples of a luxury brand using Snapchat’s AR capabilities on its own site. In April, the social app announced that it would begin making its AR try-on and 3D technology available to outside platforms, such as brand apps and websites, with Puma and Ralph Lauren as early adopters. With only 3 per cent of US adults regularly using AR while shopping, according to a recent report from Insider Intelligence, opening up the tech to other platforms could encourage AR adoption and development. Gucci, Prada and Farfetch, among others, have previously deployed AR try-on within Snapchat to encourage purchases of sneakers, bags and streetwear. And Farfetch, via Farfetch Platform Solutions, has worked with Burberry to digitise its Olympia bags, making this latest feature a natural progression.
Accessories, which includes handbags and leather goods, is Burberry’s largest product category and all 60 Lola product pages will get the Lola View treatment. While the brand has experimented with AR before, including an exclusive AR Instagram filter to promote its outerwear campaign via a QR code, this offering will sit on its website. The brand didn’t say for how long.
Burberry joins a growing list of luxury brands attempting to lure younger customers with technology functions such as AR. In February, Bottega Veneta launched its first-ever AR app to tease creative director Matthieu Blazy’s debut collection, and last year, Off-White teamed up with Snap Inc to create an AR Lens experience, allowing users to virtually try on and style their Bitmoji selfies with AR Off-White face masks inspired by the brand's Spring/Summer 2021 collection.
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