The biggest difference between shopping online and shopping in a real store is that the latter, allows customers to try on things first before buying.
However, the social giant Facebook is trying to change that with the introduction of augmented reality ads that allow users to try out sunglasses, makeup, and furniture, all through their News Feeds.
Using AR as ad format is meant to encourage users to engage with brands by trying out some of their products on display.
The ads appear similar to every other types of Facebook ads, taking the looks of a promoted tile on users' News Feed.
The difference is that the ads have a 'Tap to Try it On'. Tapping on this will open users' camera and proceeds by showing an AR version of the advertised object on the users.
Facebook's AR ads come after the company made several experiments with AR in Messenger.
The first company that tests this AR ad, is Michael Kors. AR ads from the American fashion company allows users to see what its sunglasses would look like on their faces. If they are interested, they can make the purchase directly within the ad.
"We see augmented reality as an emerging and important part of our customer-centric mobile strategy," said Michael Kors said in a statement. "We know our customer is highly visual, and we are always looking for ways to deliver experiences that are not only unexpected but relevant, personalized and useful to her in her shopping journey."
Sephora, Nyx Professional Makeup, Bobbi Brown, Pottery Barn, and Wayfair have also shown interest in trying this AR ad type, following Michael Kors.
According to Ty Ahmad-Taylor, Facebook's VP of Product Marketing:
Initially, the AR ads are supposed to target holiday shoppers, where Facebook users can try things out on themselves before buying things during the holidays as gifts.
Facebook said that it is testing and developing the technology to smooth out the user experience, develop a pricing model, and understand how consumers are when interacting with the AR ads. It plans to make the ad technology available to all advertisers at the end of 2018.
With Facebook launching AR ads, the move brings the company into the AR market previously dominated by Snapchat.
Snap which is Snapchat's parent company, is considered as the industry leader in AR ads, and has given opportunities like sponsoring popular Snapchat filters called Lenses. Apple is also betting on AR technology, including encouraging developers to make content for the technology using its ARKit.