As consumers come out of quarantine and head to stores and restaurants again, chances are that they will stay far away from the cosmetics counter. Even before COVID-19, those spaces were known to harbor bacteria; but now, with consumers’ concerns over germs soaring, it's a safe bet that department stores and beauty retailers are rethinking traditional testers, samples and applicators.
 
Instead, say industry experts, marketers should embrace augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).   
 
“AR and VR are not just for gamers,” said Balti Virtual Co-founder and CEO Will Gee. 

Balti Virtual, a virtual and augmented reality development agency, has been a pioneer for over 20 years in using technology, artistry and interactive experiences to bring together what it calls meaningful engagements around the world. The company got its start in 1997 with video games, but by 2003, it entered the entertainment and advertising world via a series of projects such as museum exhibitions and professional football. Today, Balti’s client list includes the NFL, HBO, Disney, Marvel and Starbucks.  

In creating social media plug-in Snapchat and Instagram campaigns for its clients, Balti’s AR/VR creations led to repeat engagements by users, ranging from 10 to 20 engagements compared to a one-time experience.  
 
Gee admits that AR and VR is in early stage development for most companies and consumers. But he noted that while most consumers don’t have AR glasses or devices, they do have smart phones which have applications in the personal care space. A range of companies, including YouCam and PerfectCorp, have made virtual cosmetic application a reality.
 
“Another innovation with respect to cosmetics and the ‘remote consultation/use case is that newer phones, especially iPhones with depth-sensing cameras, offer the opportunity to share a highly detailed 3D model of a person's face remotely,” he explained. “It will be interesting to see how this technology is used in the industry—brands like Warby Parker have already used it to measure for glasses.”
 
Now, Gee is convinced that VR and AR represent the next evolution in computing and that has applications in campaigns geared toward cosmetics as well as home care companies.
 
“In my lifetime, we moved from command prompts to the mouse to smartphones and the internet,” he noted. “Now, we’re moving into 3D immersion and can bring back the benefits of real world experience.”
 
And, there’s opportunities beyond B2C. For example, VR and AR can help companies train employees on how to correctly apply and use cleaning products in industrial and institutional settings, without having to visit each facility.
 
To get started in the virtual world, the Balti team partners with a brand to uncover goals and outcomes of the campaign and within three or four months, the project is completed. The pandemic has created an opportunity for marketers to connect digitally and safely with consumers. 
 
“We’re all suffering from Zoom fatigue,” Gee joked, “and we’re seeking new ways to get consumers’ attention.”
 
To get consumers attention, last month Balti Virtual launched HypARlink, where users can instantly experience high-quality augmented reality for free, on any device, with a single link. To start, users can interact with unicorns and turtles.

“Our hope is these 3D friends can be a source of entertainment for people at home and get them trying out some tech they may have never used before,” explained Gee.

For those with a more business-like mindset, there’s an example of how Kawasaki used the technology to demonstrate product features.
 
Gee admits that with live sports on hold and the Olympics postponed until 2021, several projects have been put on the backburner. As a result, Balti Virtual is searching for new opportunities and has pivoted to easy-to-rollout AR experiences that can be customized for the household and personal products industry. 
 
Pandemic issues aside, during the past five years, Balti Virtual moved from a handful of projects to 30 projects a year and the staff has grown from three to 20 employees. 
 
When business gets back, it won’t be back to normal.  Gee predicts that industry trade shows such as CES will incorporate more VR/AR elements to assuage post-pandemic concerns. 
 
“CES (and other live events) will take place, but they will be hybrid virtual events,” he concluded.
 
That sounds like the perfect environment in which Balti will thrive.