• by Colin Kirkland , November 17, 2023

In preparation for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, a mix of major brands ranging from Carhartt to Purina are debuting interactive holiday-themed AR Lenses on Snapchat to introduce various products to consumers in an experiential format.

Carhartt, the American apparel company known for its trendy workwear, is launching three festive Lenses to promote its holiday sale, which began November 15. The gamified Carhartt Santa Lens challenges Snap users to play Santa, dropping as many Carhartt presents onto houses as they can in under 20 seconds to earn a special prize.

The company is also premiering an immersive Detroit Store Lens that allows Snapchatters to virtually explore the Carhartt flagship store -- all decorated for the holidays. Visitors can peruse the apparel on its shelves and click through to the company's real-world gift guide.

“We hope that playing Santa and dropping Carhartt gifts or stepping into our iconic Detroit store just might feel like a fun brand experience and not just another holiday ad,” said Carhartt's Director of Brand Marketing Katelyn AuBuchon in a statement.

The company’s third Lens doubles down on the Detroit location, targeting users with product info and price, then inviting them to the website to shop items that catch their eye.

Last holiday season, Carhartt reported an +11 point lift in brand favorability after launching a beanie try-on Lens that also transported Snapchatters to a cozy holiday cabin featuring shoppable products, as well as a gamified Lens that invited users to grow plants in a virtual Carhartt virtual community garden.

Amazon is channeling its holiday spirit via a gamified and voice-activated Woo Sled Lens, which encourages Snapchatters to cheer for their holiday deals (literally) while virtually sledding down a snowy hill.

The louder they shout “Woo” into their phones, the faster they will collect items like wrapped Amazon packages, shoes, laptops and fitness equipment on the slope, the company says.

For pet owners, Purina has created a holiday-centric selfie and World Lens experience with its Beggin’ Holiday Spirit Lens, transforming users into the company’s Beggin’ dog treats mascot, Hamlet, via their phone’s front-facing camera. From there, they can sing along to a custom holiday jingle, while the rear-facing camera brings them inside a virtual store where they can shop for limited-edition holiday merchandise and Beggin’ products.

Meanwhile, Tim Hortons is bringing the AR craze to Canada with a gamified Holiday Smile Cookie Lens that invites Snapchatters to catch as many branded cookies within 20 seconds as possible while trying to avoid being hit by other holiday objects like snowflakes, ornaments and wreaths.

In this case, Tim Hortons Lens supports a real-world program. The Canadian coffeehouse and donut chain has made it so 100% of proceeds from every Smile Cookie purchased in real life goes to the Holiday Smile Cookie program, which supports local communities across Canada.

Finally, nail-care brand Sally Hansen has launched a Holiday Lens based around its chip-resistant nail polish Miracle Gel. The Lens features nail segmentation technology that allows Snap users to try on holiday-themed nail polish colors, like “Jack Frosted” and “Baking Spirits Bright.”