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Beauty Of New Technology: Users Personalize Before-And-After Ads

It's no secret that people love uploading their pictures to fun applications like Body Booster from Garnier Fructis, YearbookYourself.com or ElfYourself.

ModiFace has developed a technology that allows users to upload pictures of themselves into online ads.

The technology is geared towards beauty and cosmetic brands and gives consumers the ability to view an "after" shot of how they'd look, using a certain product.

Imagine what you'd look like 20 pounds lighter or sans wrinkles. The technology takes less than a second to create an updated portrait of someone using a particular beauty treatment.

Once before and after pictures are created, the user can share the photos with friends via email or social networking sites.

The technology has been in development for almost a decade, with early development beginning at Stanford University and the University of Toronto.

ModiFace Apps detect facial features and display an updated image of a user with a facelift, corrected smile, whitened teeth, different hair color, or tanned skin, for example. Rather than buying something that may or may not work with their skin tone, people can get a better idea of whether they should spend money on a product. Users become embedded in the ads, but uploaded pictures are not saved, according to ModiFace. For privacy reasons, pictures are erased after a few hours, said Parham Aarabi, CEO of ModiFace.

The company has launched makeover appvertisements (Apps that are ads -- new-word alert) for 10 different brands and clinics. Current clients include Allergan Canada, Procter and Gamble and New Beauty magazine.
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