Snapchat launches DIY augmented reality production tool Lens Web Builder

Snapchat has unveiled a web-based augmented reality production tool that will allow advertisers to create their own AR lenses in just a few minutes and without having to fork out for design and production costs.

Dubbed Lens Web Builder, Snap claims it is the industry’s first web-based AR lens production tool. The company has made available hundreds of usable templates, allowing brands to customise them to design 3D lenses with next to no 3D design experience.

The platform was built around three key principles: simplicity, in allowing brands to choose from thousands of 3D objects and animations; speed, with the process taking just minutes rather than weeks; and free, with Snap making the service accessible to brands gratis, with no need to commit to a certain level of media spend.

The technology will enable advertisers with minimal budgets, such as start-ups and SMEs, to avoid having to pay third-party AR and design studios. It can also be used by brands looking to create quick, reactive social work; agencies and marketers that want to test branded AR concepts within the Snapchat camera; and creators with no 3D development background, such as graphic designers.

Snap’s AR lens ads have proven a popular means for advertisers to appeal to Snap users and drive results.