Why Augmented Reality Might be the Missing Piece of Your Customer Journey: The Brilliance of Dr Jart+
While we may not have known it by name until recently, augmented reality has been a part of popular culture and media for almost a decade now. Most of us became familiar with the technology through silly face filters on snapchat and mobile games like “Pokemon Go!”. In simple terms augmented reality is a form of interactive technology that enhances objects in the real world through computer generated perceptual information (visual animation, audio, etc…)
Saying that AR is almost a staple in our daily digital interactions is no understatement. The technology is becoming increasingly accessible, with everyone and their mom creating the next viral instagram filter, and its utility is even being exploited by businesses.
The skin care industry is one that has taken the most intuitive step forward on this front; creating face filters that analyze a user’s skin concerns and recommend treatments accordingly. Dermalogica is one of the bigger names in this space, with their AR face mapping tool.
But today I’ll be discussing a skin care brand that stands out from the rest with their use of AR, and that brand is none other than Dr Jart+. The ethos of Dr Jart+ is to provide skin care that represents a meeting point of art and science. Their products are strongly ingredient-focused, but also aim to create a skin care experience that is playful, fun and aesthetically pleasing.
The augmented reality campaign titled “The World of Cicapair” was created to launch Dr Jart+’s best selling Cicapair product line in the UK. The project involved a 360 degree film that is set in Piccadilly Circus, one of the central hubs of London. The film used stunning 3D animations and audio effects to tell the story of Cicapair, transforming the dusty, pollution-ridden area into a calm, relaxing oasis. This all happens under the watch of a white and green tiger, who represents the product’s key ingredient; Tiger Grass. The film creates a visual representation of how the product acts on your skin, emphasizing its soothing effect.
But it didn’t stop there. Dr Jart+ gave customers the ability to enter the World of Cicapair through an AR portal (accessible via online and physical QR codes). Users could walk around and experience the world in real time, even having the ability to document it through a record feature labeled “Share your #DrJartCicapair experience.”
It is important to note that this initiative was launched during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which is a big reason as to why it’s so genius. Dr Jart+ hit several nails on the head when it came to reaping the brand benefits of AR, and they did so through one single project.
- Immersion in a Touch-free World
With more time spent at home, skincare became a personal project for many, and consumers began to invest more time and money in optimizing their routines. Accompanied by the fact that sight, smell and touch were no longer a part of the purchase journey, customers depended solely on online content to educate themselves on the products they bought. The World of Cicapair fit perfectly into this context, as it made up for the lack of sensory interaction with an artistic experience that doubled as a product metaphor. It was successful in conveying the essence of Dr Jart+ in an interactive and immersive way.
2. Educating Consumers
Dr Jart+ prides itself on being scientifically focused, and educating its customers on its product ingredients and why they are beneficial is a big part of its overall messaging. The world of Cicapair emphasized this as well, Not only by centering its overall vision around the benefits of its core ingredient, tiger grass, but even providing mini AR product labels that drove home benefits and usage.
3. Shareable Content that Drives Engagement
Instagram filters and mobile games have shown us that AR experiences are inherently shareable. But Dr Jart+ kept the engagement train going through influencer partnerships, sending skin care content creators packages of the Cicapair line and encouraging them to share their experience in the AR world. This bridged the gap between the physical and digital, and added more real-world validation to the campaign. This played a huge role in launching the Cicapair product line into stardom Tik Tok and Instagram. The line is now a household name in viral skincare.
The pandemic-accelerated growth in tech has resulted in a massive uptake of brands capitalizing on emerging trends like gaming, blockchain, and the ever elusive Metaverse. While it is no newcomer by any means, augmented reality has only just started to find its momentum within this landscape.
A report by Shopify showed that products that utilized AR in their retail experience showed a 94% higher conversion rate than those that didn’t. Another study found that 61% of consumers preferred retailers that provided AR experiences.
Brands like Dr Jart+ have showcased the multi-utility of this technology, creating functional, educational and experiential value within the customer journey. It’s safe to say that as long as consumers stay hungry for digital experiences, AR is isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
