Good morning marketers, is AR part of your e-commerce strategy?
Pinterest has launched “Try On,” a new augmented reality feature that lets users virtually try on various lipstick shades suited to their complexions. The feature is powered by Lens, Pinterest’s proprietary visual search technology. When launched, “Try On” opens a user’s front-facing camera, enabling them to swipe through and try on up to 25 different lipstick shades. Each shade has a brand associated with it so that users can “Shop the look” immediately or Pin it for later. The initial rollout partners include beauty brands like Estée Lauder, Sephora, bareMinerals, Neutrogena, L’Oreal, NYX Professional Makeup, YSL Beauté, Lancôme, and Urban Decay. So what’s the big deal? Sure, other social platforms are getting serious about AR, but few have the influence Pinterest does when it comes to surfacing fresh beauty trends or curating beauty mood boards. While retailer Sephora has been using AR technology since 2017, the move by Pinterest could help bring more visibility to beauty retailers that have yet to integrate more immersive technology within their own platforms. As an added bonus, the feature builds on Pinterest’s efforts to create a more inclusive platform by giving users the opportunity to see how colors might look across a range of various skin tones. Lipstick feels like just the tip of the iceberg for what the new tool could eventually do. Beauty brands, take note. Keep scrolling for more news, including a look at why AMP for email still lacks wide adoption, and an update on Facebook’s new privacy tool that lets users delete tracking data. Taylor Peterson, Deputy Editor |