The company said in a blog post, “2020 has been a year of the unexpected and the unprecedented, from stay-at-home orders to major shifts in consumer behavior and in how brands, businesses and organizations operate. In a year of new normals, Snapchat’s camera has played a pivotal role in bringing us together, even when we’re apart. Snapchatters are no stranger to having fun and being creative with the camera, and are constantly spreading joy and positivity in their communities. This year more than ever, Snapchatters and brands have used the camera to connect with friends and loved ones all over the world in new, creative ways.”

Snapchat added, “AR has played a massive role in creating those connections and experiences. Brands and organizations around the world have leveraged our technology to engage with the Snapchat Generation in innovative ways never before possible. Today, we’re celebrating some of the most inspiring AR moments and campaigns that Snapchat and our partners brought to life in 2020:”

The campaigns chosen by Snapchat were:

Biden-Harris campaign and U.S. Postal Service: The campaign sought to encourage Snapchatters to vote early for the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris ticket by creating an experience where scanning the USPS logo showed users in a Biden hat and shirt, wearing his iconic aviators.

Gucci AR shoe try-on: SnapML technology was used to enable Snapchatters to virtually try on Gucci shoes and purchase them directly through the lens via a ‘Shop Now” button, which generated positive return on ad spend.

Hershey’s Canada Reeseter Egg Hunt: The classic Easter egg hunt went AR, as Snapchatters in Canada were able to hunt around their real-world environments for “Reeseter” eggs. After collecting 10, they could swipe up to an instant-win microsite for a change to win a Reese Easter Egg prize pack.

Los Angeles Rams uniform reveal: The pandemic scrapped plans for an in-person reveal of the National Football League team’s new uniforms, so it turned to AR.

National Saudi Day: Brands in Saudi Arabia kicked off several campaigns dedicated to the 90th Saudi National Day, with 12 lenses activated by different partners.

NYX Professional Makeup virtual store and try-on experience: The first-ever virtual beauty product drop on Snapchat’s platform featured an end-to-end shopping experience powered by AR, including virtual try-on and gaming via both Snapchat and Triller.

OnePlus Diwali Festival of Lights: Snapchatters in India were enabled to send custom Diwali greetings from their own balconies, releasing them to the sky and watching them transform.

Ralph Lauren AR retail: The apparel brand and Snapchat worked with Bitmoji to roll out a global Bitmoji fashion collection featuring Ralph Lauren’s iconic outfits, and then brought the Ralph Lauren pony logo to life via Snapchat Scan.

Rebuild Foundation “Raise Your Voice”: An artist collaboration and application takeover inspired by Black Lives Matter and the pandemic enabled Snapchatters to don custom AR masks, accessorize their Bitmoji avatars and buy real-life masks through the platform’s integration with Shopify.

Trolls World Tour takes over the Snap Camera desktop app: Universal Pictures released Trolls World Tour on-demand, rather than in theaters, due to the pandemic, and Snapchat brought the animated characters to life, extending the experience to its then-new desktop app for video calls and virtual meetings.

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