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Facebook starts testing AR ads in the News Feed

Facebook starts testing AR ads in the News Feed

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Try on a pair of sunglasses... on Facebook?

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Facebook ads will start feeling a little more like a virtual fitting room. The company announced today that it will begin implementing augmented reality ads into the News Feed.

These AR ads are in the testing phase, and users in the US will be the only ones who will see them for now. The new feature allows users to try on the products that are advertised through a process similar to that of a Snapchat filter. (Facebook bought the augmented reality face filter app MSQRD back in 2016, and it has been adding more filters directly on the Facebook and Messenger camera features.) In an example, Facebook showed off the new AR ad with a pair of Michael Kors sunglasses, but it can be applied to all sorts of e-commerce goods. Users will be able to interact with digital versions of fashion accessories, cosmetics, and furniture before buying them through the app. There’s already plenty of big-name stores on board; Sephora, Wayfair, and Pottery Barn are a few of the businesses that are prepared to start testing this summer.

Shopping for Instagram Stories will also be expanding in the months leading up to the holidays as well. Last month, Facebook started allowing brands to place stickers on an Instagram story to link out and let a user purchase the advertised product. Only a few select brands were able to start using the stickers then, but the program will begin rolling out globally today.