Attention on Interactive Brand Experiences
Snapchat has partnered with Wpromote and Lumen to measure attention on AR, an interactive brand experience, and uncovered how powerful it is at driving it, as well as brand performance. Read all about our attention journey here!
In today’s advertising landscape, all eyes are on Attention. It’s not just about visibility—whether an ad was seen—but about how much of that ad was truly absorbed by viewers. As marketers look for ways to captivate audiences, interactive brand experiences, like augmented reality (AR) Lenses, have gained traction as powerful tools to drive engagement and deliver memorable brand moments. To that end, we’ve partnered with Wpromote and Lumen to help us understand how AR Lenses helped deliver Attention and performance for Wpromote and their clients.
We began this research to answer three critical questions:
What’s the impact of leveraging interactive brand experiences, like AR Lenses, (vs. non-interactive brand experiences like video) at driving attention?
What is the impact of interactive brand experiences, like AR Lenses, on attention and on consumer behavior and outcomes?
What are the hallmarks of a successful AR experience for driving interaction?
To address these questions, we analyzed 38 historical Wpromote US campaigns across 15 advertisers, which included 219 million impressions across different ad formats on Snap, like video and AR by leveraging our Attention measurement integration with Lumen. The Attention measurement integration, based on a biometric ground-truth dataset developed from years of eye-tracking models by Lumen, produced APM scores (ie. attention per mille - a measure of how long attention was being paid over 1000 impressions) was cross-referenced with key performance metrics such as swipe ups, purchase attributions, and brand lift.
The study revealed three main takeaways when it comes to utilizing AR alongside video in campaigns:
Including AR Lenses in the mix drives attention and outcomes
AR, an Interactive Brand Experience, drives slower, more intentional and deliberate decision-making.
Following creative best practices works. Not just for AR but across various Snapchat ad formats, which helps to increase attention levels.
Attention is a zero-sum game. People have a limited supply of attention: if you lose it, the game is already over. This research confirms a central truth: brands need to take attention into account across both media and creative to maximize influence at every touch point in the customer journey and drive business outcomes. Otherwise, you’re leaving opportunities on the table.
AR campaigns on Snap demonstrated the power of interactive experiences to capture attention and boost brand lift. Wpromote campaigns including AR had 2.4x Ad Awareness lift, 1.8x Brand Awareness lift, and 1.4x Brand Association lift compared to campaigns without1. Unlike static or video ads, which rely on passive viewing, AR invites users to actively engage, creating stronger, more memorable impressions. Our study shows that AR-based campaigns not only attract more attention but also translate this engagement into measurable outcomes like ad and brand awareness and brand association.
Interactive formats foster a slower, more intentional decision-making process, as users engage longer and more thoughtfully with AR. Based on an established framework from Daniel Kahneman’s book, “Thinking, Fast and Slow”¹, we observed that time spent with AR supports deliberate thought processes, leading to higher swipe-to-purchase ratios compared to non-interactive ads. When compared to Commercials, the swipe-to-purchase ratio for Lens was 6.4x¹. AR experiences seem to deepen the decision-making process, encouraging users to act with intention rather than impulse.
There is a clear playbook for AR and video success, and adhering to best practices can significantly increase attention regardless of the format. For AR, creating shareable experiences led to higher attention garnered, while the utilization of prominent branding, sound-on design, and talent presence were associated with higher attention.
Adding AR to a standard video mix can enhance attention and elevate brand outcomes. Interactive AR encourages users to spend more time with the brand, creating stronger associations and increasing the likelihood of conversion.
Marketers need to recognize that consumers engage with video and AR differently. Video formats tend to prompt faster, more impulsive decisions, making them ideal for driving urgency. In contrast, AR fosters slower, more deliberate decision-making, better suited for brand education and advocacy. Planning attribution windows accordingly and aligning ad formats with consumer behavior patterns can amplify campaign effectiveness.
By combining AR’s shareability and attention-retaining features with established video practices, marketers can maximize brand recall and engagement. To achieve minimum attention thresholds for message breakthrough, it’s essential to tailor creative strategies to each format’s strengths: utilize urgency in videos and shareability in AR.
This study aligns with a growing body of research showing that optimizing media investment with attention metrics drives stronger outcomes, from clicks and brand awareness to direct profit.
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