unBoxed 2023: Beetles Gel Polish and Amazon Ads use augmented reality to give customers a virtual manicure
31 October 2023 | By Matt Miller, Sr. Copywriter
Do your nails look best with a Tangerine, a Lala Lime or a Pink Confetti gel polish? Maybe you’re looking for a moody black? Do you go with something earthy, like a Cozy Campfire? Or do you try something a little wild, with a trippy Midnight Euphoria design? For consumers shopping online, this can be a difficult decision to make without seeing the actual colour on their fingernails. Aside from going to a salon and testing out dozens of different shades, how else can consumers find the perfect colour for any occasion?
In 2023, Beetles Gel Polish worked with Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab (BIL) to develop a virtual try-on experience in which U.S. customers could give themselves a manicure using only the camera on their device. Customers could scan the QR code in the Beetles Gel Polish Store and be directed to the virtual manicure augmented reality (AR) experience. Customers point their camera at their hand and pick from one of dozens of gel polish colours, which then appears virtually on their nails. When they find the perfect shade, they can add it to their Amazon shopping basket directly through the customised AR experience.
In 2023, Beetles Gel Polish worked with Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab to develop a virtual try-on experience in which U.S. customers could give themselves a manicure using only the camera on their device
With this tool, Beetles Gel Polish wanted to enhance brand favourability, increase customer engagement, ease shopping decision complexity, and reduce return rates.
“The experience of this innovative technology can deepen consumers’ favourability and also stimulate the desire to make purchases,” said Mykle Chan, founder of Beetles Gel Polish. “For a long time, there has been a pain point in shopping for fashion products. Consumers are attracted by product visuals, but the real product may not meet consumers’ expectations. We aim to address this by offering customers a high-quality pre-purchase experience through AR try-on functionality to reduce returns caused by poor product fit.”
During the pandemic, many consumers became more comfortable with using new technology to streamline the shopping experience online. By 2022, a majority of shoppers worldwide had an interest in AR shopping experiences – specifically 9 in 10 adult Gen Z consumers are willing to virtually try on beauty products.1
“During the pandemic, many consumers adapted to new ways of shopping, and this trend has lasted beyond the pandemic,” said Andrew Haynes, the CPG solutions manager at BIL. “If someone can’t make it to the nail salon, this provides them with that ‘try before you buy’ experience so they can make an informed purchase. Or if they’re already a Beetles Gel Polish aficionado, this custom ad unit encourages Amazon shoppers to discover new styles in the Beetles Gel Polish range they may never have considered before.”
Customers point their camera at their hand and pick from gel polish colours, which then appear virtually on their nails. When they find the perfect shade, they can add it to their Amazon shopping basket directly through the customised AR experience
The BIL team also crafted a custom landing page as part of the Store experience for Beetles Gel Polish. The campaign then included media drivers directing the relevant audience to the full AR experience by way of custom online video-ad units and custom display-ad units.
For Beetles Gel Polish, this virtual try-on experience helped improve the shopping experience for their customers. According to Chan, this tool allowed the brand to engage new customers, let shoppers experiment with different nail styles in a personalised way, and offer a convenient nail-art experience that didn’t require a trip to the salon. With the ease of virtually swapping between colours and designs, this technology also helped customers experiment with bold new looks.
“Virtual try-on technology enables customers to easily test out various nail-art styles without spending a significant amount of time and money,” Chan said. “This encourages customers to be more daring in experimenting with new nail designs and discovering their own beauty potential.”
Haynes added that he was most impressed with how realistic the various patterns rendered in a virtual environment.
“I really do love how the patterns turned out,” Haynes said. “Not only do they look great, but that’s also a big part of the Beetles Gel Polish–brand DNA. It’s about being able to use their product to create your own looks. This really prompts customers to try different colours, try different patterns and be more adventurous.”
Beetles Gel Polish has seen the virtual try-on experience as a success since it launched in July.
“After experiencing the AR try-on feature, many customers have expressed amazement on social media and mentioned how it has made online product selection more convenient,” Chan said. “Customers have also indicated their willingness to recommend this feature to others and look forward to more features being added. AR technology has the potential to enhance their overall shopping experience.”
Chan also noted the value of working with the Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab.
“The entire collaborative process was highly enjoyable. The BIL team demonstrated a high level of professionalism, and they were very receptive to our suggestions while providing valuable feedback and guidance,” Chan said. “This two-way communication and respect greatly facilitated the smooth progression of the entire project. Furthermore, the resources and technical support provided by the BIL team played a crucial role in the success of this project.”
Going forward, the virtual try-on tool will be a continued fixture in the Store for the Beetles Gel Polish brand, and update with new seasonal styles and colours.
All customers need to do is decide what gel polish best fits their nails.
1 Statista, 2022