Quick take:
- Meta Platforms is bringing 3D ads to Facebook and Instagram.
- The company has partnered with US 3D and AR company Vntana to allow brands to upload 3D models of their products.
- The move could be a reliable proof-of-concept for metaverse advertising.
Facebook shares have plummeted since rebranding to Meta in October last year. The company attributed recent poor performances to Apple’s decision to change user policy allowing iPhone users to switch online activity tracking on and off.
However, industry experts thought otherwise, pointing to the change in a direction away from a social media com[pany to a metaverse conglomerate. The fear was that generating ad revenue in the metaverse could be trickier than what the company is used to.
However, Meta Platforms has collaborated with 3D and AR (augmented reality) startup Vntana to bring 3D ads to Facebook and Instagram, its two largest revenue generators. According to the announcement, Vntana will allow brands to upload 3D models of their products to social media platforms.
They will then convert those products into ads, putting Facebook’s metaverse advertising theory to the test. Ashley Crowder, Chief Executive of the e-commerce technology firm said that this will serve as an important stepping stone for advertising in the immersive 3D world.
Meta is committed to building the metaverse, which according to various descriptions, is an interconnected virtual world that can be accessed through VR headsets and AR technology emitters, among others.
The company has pinned its future into an industry that relies on substantial advances in technology to become a feasible investment.
However, with fashion brands, retail companies already launching virtual products in the metaverse, Meta could find a new lease on life with 3D ads.
Crowder compared the metaverse to a spatial internet, “a whole world of possibility that starts with having the right 3D models of your products.” The technology will allow Facebook and Instagram users to interact with 3D ads appearing on their news and story feeds by turning the items around to view from all angles.
Chris Barbour, director of augmented reality partnerships at Meta’s Reality Labs unit said that in a way, “this offers a glimpse of what you might expect on future devices like AR glasses.”
To upload the 3D model ads to the social media platforms, advertisers will be required to reformat 3D files to be compatible with Meta’s ad systems.
This is where Vntana comes in, as it allows brands to easily upload 3D files and convert them to ads regardless of their expertise working with 3D images, Crowder added.
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