Contents: Augmented reality marketing, examples and planning
- What is augmented reality, explained simply?
- How does augmented reality work?
- 3D Product Models for AR by Danthree Studio
- Benefits of Augmented Reality in Product Marketing
- What is the difference between augmented reality and virtual reality?
- What is mixed reality?
- Can you add augmented reality to an existing online store?
- Do I need a separate app for augmented reality?
- Examples of AR and digital room planning
- FAQ
What is augmented reality, explained simply?
Augmented Reality (AR) overlays digital content onto the real-world environment. When shopping, for example, a 3D product model can appear in a smartphone’s camera view. This allows you to see what an armchair would look like in your own living room before you actually have it there.
How does augmented reality work?
An AR application links the camera image to a digital object. It uses camera and sensor data to detect movement and suitable surfaces. The model is displayed on the screen in a way that matches the captured perspective; it is not physically projected into the room.
For a furniture model, the scale, orientation, and materials must be set up. How stable it appears in the room and how it looks when lit also depend on the device, software, and environment. The view is not a substitute for actual measurements or a material sample.
3D Product Models for AR by Danthree Studio
At Danthree Studio, we create 3D product models and visualizations for furniture and home furnishings brands. For AR applications, we prepare geometry, materials, and file formats for the intended display.
Model production and integration into the online store are two different tasks. Discuss with us and your store team in advance which platform will be used, which devices should be supported, and who will handle the technical integration. A rendered animation is not yet an interactive AR model.
Want customers to view your products in their space? Share your product data, planned variants, and intended use. We can then discuss the modeling work your project needs.
Benefits of Augmented Reality in Product Marketing
AR can help with specific questions about product selection. These applications are particularly interesting for furniture and home furnishings brands:
- Proportions in a room: A correctly scaled digital model can show roughly how much space a piece of furniture takes up. On-site measurements are still necessary, especially for narrow passages or built-in furniture.
- Compare options: You can compare colors or finishes if suitable models and materials are available. The display and ambient lighting may affect how colors appear.
- Answer questions before purchase: An additional view can help address uncertainty about placement. Fewer returns or more sales are outcomes to investigate, not results AR guarantees.
- Viewing the product and its surroundings together: AR supplements product images, dimensions, and material information. A virtual showroom, on the other hand, displays a custom-designed environment and is a different form of presentation.
What is the difference between augmented reality and virtual reality?
AR enhances your perception of the real world with digital content. Virtual Reality (VR) transports you into a virtual environment that largely replaces the visible real world.
A VR environment can be designed freely or replicate a real-world location. With AR, the connection to the existing space is maintained, for example, through a smartphone’s camera feed or a transparent display. Therefore, not every virtual view of a space is an AR application.
What is mixed reality?
Mixed Reality (MR) refers to the integration of physical and digital environments. Spatial interaction is often the focus, such as when a digital object reacts to recognized surfaces. The definitions of these terms vary depending on the provider. What matters is the specific function, not whether a user is supposedly unable to distinguish between reality and the digital representation. Microsoft explains the spectrum from AR to VR.
Can you add augmented reality to an existing online store?
You can add AR to an existing online store if its platform, theme, and application support it. You will need suitable 3D product models, a way to host the files, and a tested transition to the AR view.
AR complements standard product images. A rotatable 3D viewer, a product configurator, and a real-world visualization are different features. First, determine which of these answers a specific question your customers have.
When planning 3D product visualization for e-commerce, consider file size, load time, and a way to return to the product page. Also, be prepared for the possibility that a device may not support AR: a standard 3D viewer or product images should still be usable.
Advertising can also make use of interactive AR elements. A finished video with 3D objects inserted into it, on the other hand, is not an AR application. We explain this distinction in our article on CGI advertising.
Illustration of a shelving unit displayed in a smartphone camera view.
Do I need a separate app for augmented reality marketing?
Not every AR application requires its own branded app. On supported Apple devices, AR Quick Look can open models from a website. On Android, Scene Viewer can provide an AR view if the device and required services are compatible.
A QR code simply links to a URL. The model and a compatible application must already be available there. The code alone does not generate AR or ensure device compatibility.
Having your own app can be useful if AR is part of a recurring offering. For a one-time product view, however, the need to download the app can be a barrier. Choose the approach based on your customers’ usage scenarios.
Depending on the device, web-based integrations may switch to a native viewer. The AR examples from model-viewer demonstrate various approaches, including WebXR, Scene Viewer, and Quick Look. Therefore, a consistent entry point does not mean identical behavior across all platforms.
Test the journey from product page to model on the devices you plan to support. Check loading time, placement, scale, and the return to the store. Learn more about model production on our AR services page.
Examples of AR and digital room planning
1. IKEA Kreativ: furnish a room digitally
With IKEA Kreativ, you can use the app to scan a room and then furnish it on your smartphone or computer. This is a digital room planning tool based on a room scan. It should not be equated across the board with a live AR camera view or with the earlier IKEA Place app.
2. Pokémon GO
Pokémon GO uses AR, among other things, to display characters in the camera view. AR is an optional feature in certain game situations; the game as a whole does not require this mode.
3. Google Maps: Lens and camera-based navigation
Google Maps uses camera-based views for navigation. The availability of Lens and related navigation features depends, among other things, on the region, device, and available image data. This principle is of interest for product applications: information is associated with a recognized environment.
4. L’Oréal Paris: Try on makeup virtually
With L’Oréal Paris’ Virtual Try-On, you can compare makeup looks digitally. This helps with narrowing down your choices, but it’s not a definitive indication of how a shade will look on your own skin under different lighting conditions.
5. Snapchat: Lenses
Snapchat Lenses add digital effects to faces or the surroundings. For brands, this kind of interaction is valuable when it aligns with the product concept and the specific channel. An effect alone does not explain a product feature.
6. Apple AR Quick Look: open product models from a website
Apple’s Quick Look examples show how to open 3D models on supported devices and view them in a room. USDZ files are one format used for this workflow. Test the integration and display with the actual product model.
These examples address different use cases. For your brand, it’s more important to consider which product-related question AR answers than how many features an app has. A furniture model designed for placement requires different testing than a face filter.
Example of a bathroom visualization on a smartphone.
Conclusion: Plan AR based on the product and its use
AR can display products in a spatial context. For furniture and home furnishings, this is particularly helpful when customers want to compare placement and proportions. The feel of the material, seating comfort, and the exact color effect remain questions that a screen view alone cannot answer.
Start with one clearly defined product and a specific use case. Check model quality, device compatibility, loading time, and usability before adding more variants or the full collection.
Whether AR actually helps in the store can be determined using your own data: When the feature is opened, does the product get placed correctly, and does the user find their way back to the product? Sales and returns must be evaluated in relation to the product lineup, prices, and other aspects of store usage.
Danthree Studio creates 3D product models, product animations, and CGI room imagery. Our outdoor furniture visualizations demonstrate image production, not an AR store integration. For your project, we agree on the modeling work and delivery requirements of the chosen application.
