THE FAST & EASY GUIDE FOR SNACKABLE AR EXPERIENCES Best Practices for Facebook Camera Effects 1 2 WHO USES AR, ANYWAY? 04 EVERYONE! CAMERA EFFECTS ARE A NATURAL FIT FOR SHORT, SNACKABLE AR 12 EXPERIENCES BUDGET AND LABOR COSTS FOR 20 FACEBOOK CAMERA EFFECTS REACHING YOUR AUDIENCE WITH 28 CAMERA EFFECTS TECH CONSIDERATIONS FOR DESIGNING COMPELLING CAMERA 36 EFFECT EXPERIENCES BEST PRACTICES FOR STORYTELLING WITH CAMERA 44 EFFECTS MONKS WEIGH IN ON THE FUTURE 52 WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? BRING YOUR BRAND TO LIFE 66 WITH AR 01 4 WHO USES AR, ANYWAY? EVERYONE! Interest in augmented reality (AR) is growing quickly, with over 76 million AR and VR-enabled units projected to ship in 20201. While we’re still waiting for mass adoption of purpose- driven AR experiences—the likes of which might revolutionize the way we interface with digital, just like smartphones did— organizations are keen to notice the growing importance of the technology, which is helped by the its visibility on social media. 1 Campus Technology So, we all know that augmented reality is hot, but what is it actually good for? Among the top use cases driving for developers to design compelling AR adoption right now is fostering effects—so easy that it doesn’t require connections between users on social coding knowledge. platforms. Always looking for an opportunity to take a selfie, Facebook What sets Facebook Camera Effects users in particular have been eager apart from other AR experiences is that to connect with brands through AR they are shareable, focused on just one lenses—called Facebook Camera or a couple interactions and are widely Effects—which populate the user’s accessible to users. Directly integrated immediate surroundings with virtual within the Facebook platform, Camera objects, facial transformations and other Effects are also easily accessible to the effects that occur in real time. Camera platform’s 2.27 billion monthly active Effects are built using Facebook’s Spark users, just a couple taps away from the AR platform, which makes it easy mobile news feed. 6 7 WHY EVERYONE’S SNAPPING UP AR SELFIES Facebook Camera Effects’ proximity to puts the user central. Let them tell their social streams is essential to why they are own story with your content,” according so compelling: they build upon the kinds to Michiel Brinkers, Technical Director of content that users are eager to share. at MediaMonks. It’s about you inhabiting From silly selfies to sweeping landscapes their worlds rather than them inhabiting and landmarks, lenses can augment yours. almost any photo-worthy moment in Facebook users’ lives. But the technology is about more than just making funny faces. The Spark AR While we usually think of brand platform can make imagination come to storytelling in terms of an organization life by prompting gamelike experiences, broadcasting its story to consumers, enhancing the user’s physical space or Camera Effects do the opposite by asking even bringing traditional promotional users to tell their stories instead. Think of assets, like movie posters, to life. the virtual objects in Camera Effects like AR technology has taken great leaps in theatrical props: “A good AR experience the past couple of years, enabling all 8 kinds of new experiences. While the active and approachable to newcomers, technology still offers plenty of room for which provides developers with a large growth, the Spark AR has matured enough knowledge base to exchange design ideas that it’s become very easy to develop or troubleshoot development issues. All of compelling AR experiences for users of this makes Spark AR an ideal platform for any level, including novices who have organizations that want to dip their toes never worked with AR before. In fact, the into building AR experiences to a built-in Spark AR community is pretty vibrant, or pre-existing audience. 9 That said, Camera Effects aren’t without engagement and impressions. This is a few constraints, particularly in terms because when users share a photo or of file size. Their focused nature also video with your effect to their friends means developers must pay careful and followers, it will increase your consideration in supporting just one reach. Likewise, Camera Effects can or a couple user interactions, though fit within a larger overall campaign some might find limited functionality strategy, like raising awareness of a easier to design for. The old adage televised event or by bringing traditional that “less is more” definitely applies marketing assets to life. here, as the more limited scope of what Camera Effects set out to achieve It’s this aspect of letting consumers ensures that the design remains focused create and share that makes the on user impact. In fact, this type of technology so exciting. So let’s take user-centered experience really sticks: a more user-focused approach to Nielsen has measured a 19% increase in developing delightful, surprising and ad awareness for campaigns using AR2. fun AR experiences, that people can experiment with and share to friends. While the impact of engagement varies At MediaMonks, a global creative and depending on your marketing goals, the production company, we’re no stranger shareability of Camera Effects coupled to AR experiences both big and small, with the sense of fun users achieve having developed numerous Camera by interacting with them makes them Effects, AR apps and installations. a valuable asset for increasing both In addition to a technical understanding 2 BCG 10 of AR, designing an effective experience developing on the Spark AR platform. that’s so closely aligned with a social media platform requires a good So, eager to try your hand at reaching understanding of how (and why) people your audience in a new, compelling way communicate there. By applying our with Facebook Camera Effects? This technical and creative sensibilities with an guide will cover all the need-to-know understanding of what makes Facebook info so you feel confident in ideating, users tick, we’ve had much success in designing and executing your first effect. Let’s get started! 11 02 12 CAMERA EFFECTS ARE A NATURAL FIT FOR SHORT, SNACKABLE AR EXPERIENCES If you’d like to jump into AR, Facebook’s a duck face or any one of several other Spark AR platform offers a great favorite selfie poses. This makes the opportunity for organizations of any effects easy for users to pick up and play size to do so. Much of Camera Effects’ with. convenience comes with their proximity to Facebook’s camera function, which is And Facebook users love playing with available with just a quick tap. It’s not just effects. While most types of branded accessible for users; developers can easily sponsored posts offer few opportunities of build playful, emotional experiences on engagement, users must actively explore the platform with a small team (including and engage with effects—and when they individual developers) and no coding do, they’re provided with rewarding, knowledge, making it incredibly easy to instant visual feedback. Thanks to Camera concept and execute a compelling filter. Effects’ playability, Facebook users remain engaged as they play around with them While Facebook Camera Effects offer and explore what’s available, which limited capabilities compared to native results in higher engagement and brand AR apps utilizing ARCore or ARKit, they favorability. Nissan’s AR-powered See the provide more focused, intuitive and Unseen campaign, for example, resulted shareable experiences that audiences in a 15% increase in brand favorability may immediately engage with. If there’s from its users3, who were treated to a car anything that social media users are safety demonstration featuring Star Wars sophisticated in, it’s taking photos: one characters. need only smile and say “Cheese,” make 3 BCG 14 AUGMENT YOUR FANS’ SOCIALIZING WITH AUGMENTED REALITY That users must engage with effects In addition to these standard directly means the most effective ones interactions, skilled designers can use the align with behaviors native to taking raw positional data of facial features to selfies—namely, moving their heads implement their own logic. These custom around, winking or opening their interactions may be tough for ensuring mouths. Spark AR is able to recognize a accuracy, but a truly skilled designer can few standard interactions out of the box. use these data points to their advantage for expanding the functionality and These include when users: creativity behind their Camera Effects. • Nod or shake their heads But Spark AR allows you to do more than • Open and close their mouth just develop face filters: switch to the • Blink their eyes back facing camera and the platform • Look left or right can render “world effects,” which place • Are smiling, kissing, happy, or virtual objects into the field of view. surprised 15 A single Camera Effect might use one of Walking a mile in another’s shoes makes these perspectives, or both. for great advice, so MediaMonks teamed up with agency VMLY&R to let Facebook The most important thing to remember is users really picture themselves fulfilling that Camera Effects exist to strengthen the the daily roles and responsibilities of experiences that users are already keen to U.S. Navy sailors. But instead of putting share. Here’s an example: one of the first users in their shoes, we placed them right facial masks that Facebook debuted was in the cockpit with an AR experience a virtual Nike headband. In addition to (designed in collaboration with VMLY&R) letting users virtually wear the headband, that combined both front and back-facing the Camera Effect included stats of the cameras. After they’ve tried on different user’s previous run.