"Snapchat Scan": AR filter on brand logos

"AR represents a huge opportunity for the advertising industry. Such applications are fun, and they make advertising cool. It enables brands to combine entertainment with information. That's a big advantage, because users want to be entertained as quickly as possible when they pull out their smartphones," says social media expert Tim Weisheit in an interview with news portal Pressetext.

"Modern Surprise Egg"

With Snapchat Scan, users simply focus their camera on a brand logo, such as McDonald's Golden Arches. The feature recognizes the logo and displays AR elements that match the brand. These can include special filters, 3D elements and special information.

"Gamification, or playfulness, is becoming more and more prevalent in branding. Just the logo or ordinary advertising - people have seen that too often. AR applications, on the other hand, offer something new. You can think of this feature as a modern surprise egg," social media expert Hendrik Unger tells Pressetext.

Patent already exists since 2015

According to Social Media Today Snapchat patented a similar concept back in 2015. The basic idea was to be able to scan the menu in a restaurant and thus obtain additional information through AR, for example about the calorie or fat content of the food. But the feature was also intended to be used for advertising and branding right from the start. Restaurants should be able to use the scan to present discount offers and promotions.

Snapchat's plan is to present ads triggered by visual impressions, similar to the ads presented for keywords on Google. Snapchat first implemented the idea of AR elements through brand logos on its "Spectacles" smart glasses in 2016. When users of the glasses look at the Spectacles logo, they are presented with a custom AR filter. (pte)