Amplified Intelligence, a trusted source for accurate attention measurement, has joined forces with Snapchat on a market-leading approach to assess how augmented reality (AR) lenses captivate audiences.

Conducted in partnership with global media agency OMD, the research initiative facilitated live analysis of in-the-moment human attention on Snapchat AR lenses, producing the most accurate measurement to date.

Key findings from the research revealed that AR lenses encourage 5x higher active attention than competing social media platforms, with ads being actively watched 81 percent of the time they are in view, Amplified Intelligence said in a media statement.

With a human-first approach to accurate data collection, this research marks the value of measurement of true human attention as a key metric in demonstrating the viability of non-traditional formats.

With the significance of AR advertising as a powerful tool for advertisers to engage with their audiences in an interactive and immersive manner, being increasingly recognised across the industry, the findings from this comprehensive research will enable marketers to invest their ad dollars in innovative, future-proof formats that guarantee increased engagement and brand loyalty.

The data revealed that Snapchat’s AR Lenses sit closer in terms of performance to cinema or TV than comparable digital platforms.

Key findings include:

– Snapchat AR Lenses increase short-term likelihood to buy by 53 percent and long-term likelihood by 31 percent after only one exposure. Advertising on Snapchat’s AR Lenses positively impacts both short-term advertising strength (STAS) and long-term mental availability (MA).

– Snapchat AR Lenses deliver over 5x more active attention when compared to other mobile in-feed social platforms: With an average active attention of 12.6 seconds, Snapchat AR Lenses deliver the highest level of engagement and attention in the digital space, when compared to similar digital platforms.

– AR Lenses are actively viewed for an average of 81 percent of the time they are on screen. Snapchat’s AR Lens emerged as an exceptionally engaging format, correlating more screen time with increased active attention. Unlike typical digital platforms, where time in view doesn’t guarantee attention.

Alexander Dao, Global Head of Agency Development & Sales Partnerships at Snapchat, said: “Snapchatters love using our dynamic AR Lenses to communicate with their friends, which means that brands have a ton of opportunity to leverage the immersiveness of AR to create engaging campaigns and capture more of their audience’s attention.

“We’re excited to see that AR Lenses on Snapchat are driving strong short and long term brand lift, and know it’s because AR puts Snapchatters at the center of action.”

Jean-Paul Edwards, MD, Product Strategy & Innovation at OMD Worldwide, commented: “This research enables a deeper understanding of how Snap AR lenses deliver for our clients. The interactive and immersive nature of lenses drives not just improved levels of attention but also brand effects that work in different ways to more passively consumed formats such as display and video.

“These data points are now being widely utilised within Omni to orchestrate better outcomes by planning to each campaign’s specific attention requirements and attributes.”

Karen Nelson-Field, Founder and CEO at Amplified Intelligence, added: “AR has been transforming the way consumers interact with advertising, seamlessly integrating unique experiences with purchase decisions. This is especially valuable in a media ecosystem where budgets are tightening and advertisers need to make every second of attention count.

“Success here requires not only accurate attention measurement at the granular level but also understanding how attention ties into viewer behaviour, which is critical to maximising ROI and delivering effective campaigns. As digital frontiers expand to incorporate complex and immersive technologies like AR, precise benchmarking and datasets — not mere proxy measures — will enable the industry to leverage these formats to deliver performance objectives.”