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In today’s digital world where consumers want everything to be served on their mobile phones - the Augmented Reality (AR) filters are making it easier for the brands to do that while actively retaining them. They have also transitioned into innovative marketing tools to enhance user engagement, drive product trials, and boost brand recall. From beauty to beverages, marketers are integrating AR into their digital strategies to turn passive viewers into active participants.
Leading cosmetic and skincare brands have rolled out virtual makeup try-ons, allowing users to experiment with lipstick shades, foundations, and eyeshadows using their smartphone cameras. These AR filters, available on platforms like Instagram, Sharechat and Snapchat, offer consumers a frictionless, personalized trial experience—one that was previously limited to physical stores.
Festive seasons have also seen a surge in interactive AR campaigns, with brands launching custom filters featuring Holi colours, Diwali diyas, and New Year themes. FMCG and fashion players are also using AR gamification—such as branded treasure hunts and filter-based contests—to encourage users to spend more time with their content and share it organically.
“The surge in AR filter adoption among Indian brands isn't simply following a global trend, it's responding to uniquely Indian market dynamics,” said Aditya Aima - Managing Director, Growth Markets; Co-MD, India and MENA at AnyMind group. He further added that India offers fertile ground for experiential marketing, owing to the fact that according to Statista, India is expected to have over 829 million smartphone users in 2025, making it one of the largest smartphone markets globally and one of the world's youngest populations .
He believes that the pandemic accelerated this shift, as physical retail spaces closed and brands scrambled to create digital alternatives that could capture the tactile, immersive aspects of in-store experiences.
Early Takers
Beauty and skincare brands have emerged as early adopters. Several leading brands are using AR-based virtual try-ons that let users test lip shades, eyeliners, and foundations on their faces in real time.
“When we explored AR, it wasn’t just about filters or lenses. It was about making experiences more personal and playful. For our haircare range, AR helped users discover the right products through simple, interactive journeys,” said Shankar Prasad, Founder & CEO, Plum. He added, “ And during Plum’s 10th birthday sale, we took it a step further - using AR and gamification on Snapchat to turn shopping into a celebration, where Plumsters could engage, play, and win as they shopped. It made discovery feel less like a task - and more like a party.”
Big consumer brands such as Britannia are also using AR filters to connect with consumers and boost engagement.
Siddharth Gupta, General Manager - Marketing, Britannia said, “At Britannia, we view AR not just as a tech add-on but as a canvas for richer consumer engagement.” He further shared a few product examples wherein they have used AR tools to boost engagement.
With Britannia 50-50 T20 Golmaal, they introduced an AR-powered Chatbot where an animated avatar of Ravi Shastri answered ‘Golmaal’ questions with unexpected humor. Users could activate their rear camera to project the digital avatar onto their screens and ask questions directly, making the interaction smooth and engaging.
For Britannia NutriChoice, they launched India’s first AI-powered Mixed Reality smartphone camera in partnership with Flam. A simple QR code scan of a print ad allowed users to watch a video of Ranveer Singh come alive within their phone camera, delivering the message that Britannia NutriChoice Digestive is made with 100% atta and 0% maida. Similarly, for Pure Magic Choco Frames on Valentine’s Day, they created a magical, personalized AR experience, set in a 3D Harry Potter world, in partnership with Xtendr. After scanning the QR code, users could pick their Hogwarts house, see their biscuit come to life, and send curated messages to their loved ones.
He added, “Another landmark moment was ‘1947% More History’, where AR enabled us to deliver firsthand stories of India’s freedom fighters directly from our packs, enhanced by Generative AI.”
While FMCG brands like Britannia are leaning on narrative-rich AR experiences, tech platforms like ShareChat and Moj are enabling these innovations at scale. They leverage advanced lens technology to provide creators and users with access to premium, immersive AR filters that enhance content creation and user engagement.
According to Gaurav Jain, Chief Business Officer, ShareChat & Moj, these AR lenses offer brands a unique opportunity to communicate their message in an engaging, interactive format, driving greater content consumption, virality, and UGC at scale. “Our superior technology enables the integration of customized, non-standard triggers and additional effects, making AR experiences more interactive and exciting for users. As a result, we see increased attention, participation and engagement, which directly contributes to higher brand consideration and recall,” he said.
AR Budgets
While AR filters are not a traditional marketing tool, brands are still investing in it to enhance recall and engagement.
Prasad said, “Right now, AR is an experimental but strategic part of our digital budget. It’s not the largest line item, but it’s something we consciously invest in because it adds real value to consumer experience — whether through helping them find the right product or just creating moments of delight.”
He said that they've seen good responses on both Instagram and Snapchat. Instagram gives them broad organic reach, but for AR specifically, Snapchat stood out - especially for their birthday campaign. Prasad added that the audience there is younger, extremely active on Snapchat, more familiar with AR lenses, and more willing to engage deeply. “The kind of playful, interactive behavior we saw on Snapchat made it the right platform for that moment.”
According to Aima, from a budgeting perspective, AR investments offer compelling returns when properly executed and measured. Traditional marketing metrics often struggle to capture AR's full impact, which extends beyond impressions into meaningful engagement, data collection, and direct sales influence.
He said, “At AnyMind, we advocate for a more sophisticated approach to AR ROI assessment. The average user spends more time interacting with a well-designed AR filter compared to mere seconds for standard digital ads. This extended engagement creates neurological imprints that significantly enhance brand recall. Moreover, the inherently shareable nature of AR experiences generates organic reach that can reduce overall customer acquisition costs.”
Aima added that the real economic value, however, lies in the behavioral data. Each AR interaction reveals consumer preferences and interests in ways static content cannot. When a user virtually tries on multiple outfits or tests different furniture pieces in their home, they're providing invaluable insights about their tastes and interests. This data, ethically collected and deployed, allows for increasingly personalized marketing that improves conversion rates further down the funnel.
Top-of-the-funnel play or more than that?
Experts and brands collectively agree that AR filters are more than just a top-of-the-funnel play - they can influence purchasing decisions and help turn consumers into active participants.
“AR is transforming how brands connect with consumers by turning everyday moments into immersive, interactive experiences. It enables us to go beyond conventional storytelling and create deeper, more memorable engagements that spark joy and curiosity,” said Gupta, adding that for Britannia, AR is not just a creative layer—it’s a way to make brand experiences truly participative, driving emotional connection and delight at scale.
Meanwhile, Jain said that they observe significantly higher engagement with branded AR lenses on their platform (Sharechat & Moj). This phenomenon is driven by the strong connection users have with content created by their favourite regional creators, especially when combined with a regional language touch.
These filters also allow our user community to be at the centre of attention, said Jain, while trying creative lenses and driving more affinity for the brand. This relatability enables brands to engage more effectively with their target audience, fostering deeper connections, supersize reach with improved interaction rates which in turn drives enhanced brand loyalty.
This was further reiterated by Aima who said that while AR filters initially gained popularity as engagement tools, they've evolved far beyond simple brand awareness plays. “The notion that AR serves merely as top-of-funnel content fundamentally misunderstands its potential throughout the consumer journey.”
Aima further shared examples - take the beauty and cosmetics industry, where virtual try-on filters have revolutionized product discovery and testing. Brands like Nykaa and Sugar Cosmetics have integrated AR capabilities that allow users to visualize different makeup shades on their own faces effectively replacing the traditional testing process. It reduces purchase hesitation and return rates, addressing the notorious "touch-and-feel" barrier of online shopping.
Similarly, furniture and home décor brands have leveraged AR to help consumers visualize products in their own spaces before purchase. The automotive sector has embraced virtual showrooms where potential buyers can explore vehicle features through their phones. In each case, AR isn't merely creating brand awareness, it's actively facilitating conversion by removing uncertainty from the purchase decision.
Demographics
Are AR filters as popular in the tier 2, 3 & 4 cities in India as in the metros? The answer is yes, according to Jain.
“Regional language audiences are, in fact, more responsive. AR content in regional languages ensures better understanding and clearer message delivery compared to lenses in link languages like English or Hindi. We've seen at least 2X higher engagement rates for AR lenses designed in regional languages versus those in mainstream languages, proving the power of localized, culturally relevant content in driving user interaction,” Jain explained.
He said that brands strategically leverage key moments & events like IPL, Valentine's Day, Friendships Day etc. and festive occasions on the platform to deliver stories enriched with entertainment and cultural relevance. By tapping into regional language influencers & exploring multiple unique lens triggers, brands create impactful, localized campaigns that resonate deeply with audiences. Jain further added that according to a report by Google, Bain & Temasek, 84% of Tier 2+ users in India trust local influencers over mainstream celebrities, compared to 65% in metro cities, highlighting the effectiveness of vernacular influencer collaborations for AR-driven campaigns.
Jain said, “We also offer unique opportunities to amplify brand messaging beyond the AR filters themselves, such as promoting videos created with these filters within the video feed. This drives additional scalability and extended reach for brands.”
What’s next?
As AR filters continue to make strides for the brands, its future is most certainly not bleak.
Aima believes that as we look toward the future of AR marketing in India, we're witnessing the convergence of augmented reality with artificial intelligence and contextual computing. The next evolution won't simply be more visually impressive filters but fundamentally more intelligent experiences that adapt to individual users and environments.
He said, “We're already seeing early implementations of AI integrated filters with POKKT that not just detect a product but also analyze its identity with the help of AI. AI integration is pushing this frontier further, creating AR experiences that learn from user interactions and evolve accordingly. A cosmetics filter might analyze skin tone and texture to recommend personalized products, while a furniture visualization app could suggest items based on existing décor detected through the camera.”
The true potential of these technologies emerges when brands leverage them not as isolated campaigns but as integral parts of an omnichannel strategy. AR experiences that connect seamlessly with e-commerce platforms, loyalty programs, and physical retail create continuous consumer journeys rather than momentary engagements.
Thus, as AR filters evolve from novelty to necessity, their integration with AI and commerce signals a new era of intelligent, immersive brand experiences—designed not just to attract but to convert and retain.
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