• by Colin Kirkland , October 11, 2022

Snap Inc. is set on saving consumers time waiting in the checkout line at party stores this Halloween season.

Now Snapchatters can utilize Snap’s AR (augmented reality) technology to try on, share, and shop Halloween costumes directly on the social media app. 

Snapchat said in a recent statement that its AR costume selections include movie and TV characters from "Hocus Pocus," "Squid Game," "Stranger Things," "Minecraft," "Power Rangers, "Transformers," "Jurassic World," "The Office," "Chucky," "Harry Potter," "Ghostbusters," "Cobra Kai," and more.

To begin trying costumes, Snapchatters will take several full-body photos of whatever they are wearing. Then, Snapchat’s computer-vision technology applies the product image onto their photo instantly, giving the impression that they are wearing the costume. 

From there, users can take a Snap and share with friends and choose to buy the costume with the option to check out without having to leave the app. 

According to Snap’s internal data, 80% of Snapchatters plan to use the app during this Halloween season, and 64% agree they will buy something new for Halloween, while 56% will turn to their friends for inspiration when planning Halloween celebrations. 

Users can find Snap’s new try-on Lenses by searching "Disguise Costumes" in the search bar -- or search using specific brand names such as "Stranger Things" and "Harry Potter" in Snapchat’s Lens Explorer, or by unlocking a specific Lens using designated Snapcodes. 

In addition to the new costume try-on Lenses, Snap says advertisers including Peacock, Lionsgate, Maybelline, Garnier and more will be running special Halloween AR campaigns this season.