SILK

To increase product awareness, Silk ran interactive and non-interactive Augmented Reality ads featuring celebrity influencers, and saw a 9.2-point lift in ad recall in the campaign that included interactive Augmented Reality ads.

THE STORY
Plant-based product line

Founded in 1977, Silk produces plant-based food products. For more than 40 years, Silk has claimed that its mission is to “fuel everyone from vegans to burger lovers” with its wide variety of non-dairy beverages, creamers and yogurt alternatives. The Silk brand is a subsidiary of Danone S.A., a multinational food products corporation based in Paris with roots in Barcelona, Spain and the US.

9.2-point

lift in ad recall for the cell that included interactive Augmented Reality ads

2.3-point

lift in brand awareness for the cell that included interactive Augmented Reality ads

2.6-point

lift in brand awareness among ages 18–24 for the cell that included interactive Augmented Reality ads

We found that by including immersive and interactive ads within our campaigns, we could drive higher awareness about our oat milk product in a fun and entertaining way. Incorporating these augmented reality camera effects into the ads post-click kept viewers engaged, and made the ads more memorable, which showed in our strong campaign results.
MARY KATHERINE WOLTZ, DIRECTOR, MEDIA CONNECTIONS, DANONE
THE GOAL
Boosting brand awareness

Silk aimed to boost awareness of Silk Oat—its rebranded oat milk product—by using interactive augmented reality (AR) filter effects for the first time in its Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns.

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THE SOLUTION
Testing Augmented Reality

For this campaign, the team set up a two-cell brand lift study. Cell one consisted of the brand’s business-as-usual, non-interactive video ads that ran in Instagram and Facebook feed and Stories, and showcased influencers and celebrities using the AR filters. Cell two consisted of the same ads as in cell one, plus interactive Augmented Reality ads that allowed viewers to try the filters themselves, which ran in Instagram Stories and Facebook News Feed.

All ads featured a variety of creators and celebrity influencers, and were delivered as both branded and non-branded content from the creators’ and influencers’ own handles, as well as from Silk’s handle. The ads included the message that: “Silk Oat is the G.O.A.T. of oat milk” and explained why the celebrity was a G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) in their industry.

The interactive Augmented Reality ad included the text: “Show the world what you’re G.O.A.T. of with the GOATYourself filter by Silk.” The “Tap to interact” call to action opened the camera on the ad viewer’s mobile device and loaded the AR effects. And when the viewer took a photo of themselves or someone else, the subject’s face transformed into an oat-crowned Roman bust with “G.O.A.T.” engraved in the stone below. The video ads in Instagram Stories included a call to action that, when swiped up, opened the AR filter effect.

The team showed the ads in both cells to US adults aged 18 and over, and to a Custom Audience of plant-based and non-dairy enthusiasts. Silk partnered with multiple agencies for planning, development and execution of the augmented reality campaigns.

Silk measured the results of the July 26‒August 22, 2021 campaign using a Facebook brand lift study, which revealed:

  • 9.2-point lift in ad recall for the cell that included interactive Augmented Reality ads

  • 2.3-point lift in brand awareness for the cell that included interactive Augmented Reality ads

  • 2.6-point lift in brand awareness among ages 18–24 for the cell that included interactive Augmented Reality ads

  • 30,700 Augmented Reality effect opens with an average of 11.5 seconds spent with the AR effect