Snap Launches Global Creative Studio For Augmented Reality Content

nap has recently announced the launch of a new global creative studio named Arcadia, which will focus on creating branded augmented reality (AR) content.

Arcadia will be a new branch of Snap, designed on the studio model and catering to several clients on record. The studio will also offer clients workshops, insights and trend reporting to boost their own work on Snapchat and in AR.

In a statement, Snap promised the studio would be “powered by a team of world-class experts” stating:

“A place where client ambition meets creative design meets cutting-edge technology, Arcadia’s goal will be to elevate the overall AR ecosystem. It will do so by pushing the limits of what’s possible in the format and then sharing its insights and technical expertise with clients. Arcadia reinforces Snap’s global leadership positioning in AR.“

Arcadia launches with several founding clients, including P&G Beauty, Verizon, WWE and fast food chain Shake Shack.

Chief Digital Officer at P&G Beauty, Benjamin Spiegel, said: 

“Working with Arcadia has given us a one-stop-shop that is deeply connected to the ecosystem, with access to all the right details needed for compelling AR. They simplify the level of complexity in the AR marketplace to make it tangible for brands, in a really natural way. For P&G Beauty, we are committed to create native experiences for our customers, and really market in new spaces that differentiate us from others. Working with Arcadia will allow us to create those opportunities, as we look to leverage AR across multiple platforms to deliver the right creative ideas to the right customer.”

Snap has been at the forefront of AR development since the launch of lenses on Snapchat in 2015. The company cited recent research from Deloitte and Foresight Factory, which predicted 94% of people expect to use AR for shopping in 2022, and that shopping on AR will increase 37% by 2025, respectively. The company’s own research demonstrates that AR tools are increasing in popularity; users engaging daily with AR on Snapchat grew more than 40% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2021, outpacing daily active user growth by more than 80%.

Head of Consumer Content & Partnerships at Verizon, Erin McPherson, said:

“At Verizon, we believe that augmented reality is the gateway to new experiences for our consumers because they will be able to experience the magic of AR directly on their phones, which is exactly the type of exciting opportunities we are building with Snap and Arcadia. Our next big step is to leverage AR to really demonstrate the power of 5G and the deliverables we are currently working on will be absolutely remarkable for consumers.”

Chief Brand Officer at the WWE,Stephanie McMahon commented:

“Our goal is to always overdeliver for our fans, and augmented reality adds a fun and deeper layer to their experience. From cities all over the globe to screens of any size, WWE creates real-life superheroes and AR enables anything to come to life around them. By working with Arcadia, we are limited only by our imaginations; I can’t wait to see what we’re able to create together,”