The Wild (and Slightly Terrifying) Future of Inescapable AR Ads
Step into the Future of Advertising, Where Virtual Products Come Alive and Convince You to Buy Them... Or Do They?
The Wild (and Slightly Terrifying) Future of Inescapable AR Ads
Imagine walking down a bustling city street, only to be bombarded by a mesmerizing array of virtual products floating in the air around you. It's a world where virtual sneakers seem to be walking alongside you, tempting you with stylish designs, and mouth-watering virtual food sizzles on digital billboards, tingling your taste buds. That’s the world we’ll soon one day be in with the help of AR.
What fascinates me now is not just the sheer transformation this will bring to our interaction with advertisements but also the profound long-term ramifications it holds. For this week’s piece, I chose three aspects of this future to dive deep in:
Unleashing the Power of Immersion
Navigating the Boundaries of Privacy
The Ethics of ARvertising
Let’s dig in.
Unleashing the Power of Immersion
In this brave new world of inescapable AR ads, the power of immersion takes center stage. No longer confined to static images or brief video clips, advertisements come to life in captivating ways, enveloping us in an immersive experience. Imagine stepping into a virtual showroom where you can interact with products, try them on, and test their functionality before purchasing. The boundaries between the physical and the digital blur and our senses are heightened as we become active participants in the advertising process.
The potential for immersion in AR advertising is genuinely limitless. While there have been AR virtual try-ons for a long time, with the help of AR glasses, we could see wildly immersive and never before seen advertising. For example, timeshare companies could transport us to exotic locations, allowing us to virtually experience their property while on our daily & boring commute. Media companies like Disney could engage us in interactive storytelling, where we become part of the shows and movies we love. Imagine becoming Iron Man, fighting Thanos, or watching the cups in Beauty and the Beast come alive around you. With haptic feedback and sensory enhancements, AR ads could one day stimulate our visual and auditory senses, touch, smell, and even taste, creating a multi-dimensional engagement that leaves a lasting impression.
However, as we delve deeper into this world of immersive advertising, we must be aware of the fine line between captivating and overwhelming. There is a risk of sensory overload and intrusive experiences that may leave consumers feeling bombarded and disconnected. Striking the right balance between immersion and respecting personal boundaries becomes crucial to foster positive engagement and build consumer trust.
Navigating the Boundaries of Privacy
As AR ads infiltrate our physical surroundings, questions about privacy naturally arise. The technology behind AR relies on collecting vast amounts of data, including our location, preferences, and behavior patterns. This raises concerns about the potential misuse of personal information and the erosion of privacy in our everyday lives.
Companies must navigate these boundaries carefully. Transparency becomes paramount, with clear communication about data collection practices and how the information is used. Providing robust opt-in and opt-out mechanisms empowers consumers to control their data and make informed choices. Striking a balance between personalization and privacy is crucial, ensuring that AR ads enhance the consumer experience without compromising individual rights.
Clearly, Apple is taking substantial steps to ensure this advertising world doesn’t turn into the hellscape it so clearly could become; however, that hellscape is a profitable one and could be the very underlying money-printing strategy of Meta. Only time will tell what Zuck’s long-term vision is for the platform.
The Ethics of ARvertising
Did you like the pun? No? Too Cheesy?
Anyways, the immersive nature of AR ads brings forth ethical considerations that advertisers and creators must grapple with. The line between persuasion and manipulation can become blurred in this visually captivating realm. We already see this in the ads we see today. Cheeseburgers in Mcdonald's commercials are spray painted to look better, and Alcohol commercials use plastic decorative ice to make the pictures pop.
In the realm of AR, these products could be presented flawlessly, luring unsuspecting consumers into purchasing items that might ultimately disappoint in the real world.
Final Thoughts
To summarize the future of advertising:
Immersive AR ads will transport you to the world of your wildest imaginings, where you can virtually try on high-end fashion or savor mouth-watering delicacies.
The power of big data will enable hyper-personalized AR ads that precisely target you at the most opportune moments — Wink wink Meta.
Advertising has always sought to showcase an idealized world. With AR, this propensity for presenting unblemished realities is only likely to intensify.
We’re heading toward a fun and exciting future where ads can allow you to step into the world of your imagination. The plates are shifting under our feet, day by day. When we add up those small, consistent movements, they amount to a very different world just around the corner.
It's just Wonkavision, all the way down....