Snap Inc. launches Arcadia – a global creative studio for branded augmented reality

Snap Inc. has today announced the launch of a new global creative studio for branded augmented reality, Arcadia. Arcadia, powered by the team of world-class experts that pioneered mobile AR advertising at Snap, will develop new technology and deliver the most innovative, impactful and effective AR experiences to brand and agency partners.

 

Committed to highlighting AR as a results-proven format, Arcadia will be platform agnostic and develop experiences that can live across platform, web and app-based AR environments. Arcadia will work on a studio model and will take on select projects that require the most creative and technical skillset. In doing so, the studio will develop the next generation of branded AR experiences and lead the charge on innovation for the larger AR creation ecosystem.

The studio will partner with brands, agencies and creators to elevate what’s possible in AR, further cementing it as a must-buy, always-on format to engage with the millennial and Gen-Z audience. At launch, Arcadia has secured partnerships with world-class marketers including P&G Beauty, Verizon, WWE and Shake Shack.

Arcadia will serve brands, agencies and creators in one of three ways:

– Studio of Record: Arcadia will become the official “AR Studio of Record” and take on all of their AR production, strategy and insight needs across platforms.
– Project Based Work: Arcadia will deliver against a specific scope-of-work that align to Arcadia’s mission
– Strategic Partner: Arcadia will offer AR Strategy expertise to clients/agencies in the form of workshops, insights and trend reporting to up-level their own capabilities

By focusing sharply on the AR format, the creative studio will set the highest creative and technical standards in the market, capture an early-mover advantage, command credibility and reframe the value that a modern studio brings to its clients.

Says Jeff Miller, global head of creative strategy: “Arcadia is the newest member of Snap’s AR ecosystem that we’ve been developing for the last decade and we have seen proven results with our over 40 trusted partners and success in tools like Lens Web Builder and Creator Marketplace. By launching Arcadia, we are further cementing Snap’s commitment to Augmented Reality as a format that truly pushes the boundaries of creativity and performance in digital marketing.”

The creative studio will function as a division of Snap Inc., and will have the freedom to operate independently to appropriately serve clients’ AR needs across platforms.