Snapchat Adds New ‘Custom Landmarkers’ to Build Location-Linked AR Experiences

Snapchat’s adding another way for marketers to utilize its AR Landmarks feature, with a new Custom Landmarkers option in Lens Studio that will enable anyone to create a location-locked AR experience.

As explained by Snap:

“In 2019, we started with templates of 30 beloved sites around the world which creators could build upon called Landmarkers […] But there’s an infinite number of places for our AR creator community to build anchored, location-based Lenses – ranging from experiences that are entertaining, educational, or can even help businesses grow.  Today, we’re launching Custom Landmarkers in Lens Studio, letting creators anchor Lenses to local places they care about – from statues to storefronts – to tell richer stories about their communities through AR.”

As explained by Snap, Landmarkers enable creators to build location-specific AR experiences, building upon existing, real-world infrastructure with digital effects.

Custom Landmarkers will enable you to create your own AR effects linked to any location, so you could, for example, build an AR graphic that expands upon your store logo, or tells your business story through AR means.

That, of course, does require a level of technical nous – though you could also consider partnering with a Snap creator to build a custom AR experience, providing another way to connect with your audience.

And with Snap also developing its own AR-enabled glasses, that could become an even more valuable, engaging experience in the near future. Soon, people could see your new AR designs and features as they walk past, simply by looking at your storefront in AR – or you could display special offers, products, etc. At present, however, Snap says that Custom Landmarkers will be discoverable through physical Snapcodes at the landmark, or on a Lens Creator’s profile.

It may not be an immediate consideration for all brands, but it could become a much bigger deal, and it makes sense for Snap to move on the opportunity now, providing new ways to begin building in AR.

On another front, Snapchat has also launched its first Snap AR certification on Snap Focus, providing another way to boost your AR knowledge.

It’s interesting to see how Snap is maintaining its position as a leader in AR development, despite rising competition from bigger players. And as things progress, that could become a much more significant element for the app.