Luxury’s next big personal shopper doesn’t arrive in the form of a human or chatbot, but a pair of AI-powered Ray-Ban specs.
This week, Meta unveiled that its smart glasses, produced in partnership with the classic American eyewear brand Ray-Ban, will now include a personal styling feature designed to help wearers select and curate their outfits.
Meta captured the attention of the fashion cognoscenti last September with the launch of the second iteration of its glasses, amplified by viral media campaigns and extensive influencer marketing. Will the product’s new styling feature enjoy similar popularity?
In other Web3 news this week, Ralph Lauren has joined the smart mirror hype alongside AR connoisseur Ffface.me, while Gucci has teamed up with South Korean platform Zepeto on a new activation.
Meta’s AI smart glasses now offer style advice#
What happened: On April 23, tech giant Meta announced new features for its second generation, AI-powered smart glasses, which launched last September. Starting this week, the product will offer style advice to wearers in the US and UK.
Coined “Meta AI with Vision,” users can look in the mirror and ask the glasses for feedback on their outfit. Additionally, they can prompt the product to recommend garments that would complement a specific item of clothing.
The verdict: There’s a fundamental shift occurring in how consumers shop. Emerging advancements like virtual try-ons, AI styling bots, Apple’s Vision Pro headset, and Meta’s on-hand assistant indicate a future where smart technology plays a crucial role in the shopping experience, whether it’s at home or in-store.
However, Meta’s wearables are currently encountering challenges in appealing beyond a specific demographic of tech enthusiasts. To reach everyday shoppers, Meta previously utilized the cultural influence of popular fashion influencers to endorse its products, a tactic that effectively increased visibility through algorithms (the fact that Instagram is owned by Meta likely facilitated this). Will the company employ a similar approach to promote its new feature?
Gucci deepens its gaming playbook with new Zepeto activation#
What happened: Gucci has introduced a virtual replica of its Parisian travel store, Valigeria, on the popular South Korean gaming platform Zepeto. Inspired by elements from video game titles like Prop Hunt and Fortnite, players can engage in a hide-and-seek-style experience where they must blend in with different Gucci bags to evade the “Seeker.” At the end of each month, the top three gamers have the chance to win a Gucci sports bag.
The verdict: Gucci is well-accustomed to the gaming ecosystem, having launched multiple successful activations across destinations such as Roblox, The Sandbox, and Zepeto. This activation introduces a fresh narrative with new incentives, taking Gucci’s gaming strategy to a new level.
However, due to a lack of widespread promotion, the activation went unnoticed by the majority of consumers, hindering potential engagement and online exposure. Previously, Gucci has achieved remarkable levels of participation with its gaming campaigns, such as the Roblox Gucci Garden initiative, which garnered over 19 million visits, according to the metaverse data platform Geeiq. Unfortunately, this project seems to have missed the mark.
Ralph Lauren launches virtual try-on mirrors in stores#
What happened: To support the launch of its new fragrance, Ralph Lauren teamed up with AR startup Ffface.me on an interactive mirror, located in the retail hotspot of Macy’s New York.
Users can interact with the mirror to transform their reflection into a visual representation of the fragrance. Afterward, they can scan a QR code to receive the image directly on their phone, enabling them to share their experience with their own online community.
The verdict: AR-powered smart mirrors are poised to become a permanent fixture in physical stores. Their seamless integration and user-friendly features, requiring minimal tech expertise, have resonated with luxury brands that are eager to lure shoppers back to brick-and-mortar locations.
In addition to serving as convenient try-on assistants and sources of entertainment, these mirrors are also being used to enhance brands’ visual merchandising and advertising efforts. For instance, Coach placed AR mirrors in the windows of its SoHo store, enabling passers-by to experience the technology before even stepping foot inside.