Tiffany & Co is partnering with Snap Inc. and the USTA on an immersive AR fan experience at the 2023 U.S. Open tennis tournament.
At the LVMH owned brand’s U.S. Open fan booth, visitors can take a virtual swing with a Tiffany & Co diamond-inspired tennis racquet plus engage with a Tiffany trophy via an augmented reality mirror experience in situ for the duration of the tournament through Sept. 10.
The activation continues Tiffany & Co’s long-standing relationship with Snap. Last year, the jewelry brand partnered with Snapchat for its London exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery where visitors could virtually try on the famous 128.54 Tiffany Yellow Diamond in AR.
Tiffany was the first brand to leverage Snap’s Ray Tracing technology which enhances the realism of AR by reflecting light on digital objects — it’s especially important when it comes to jewelry and high price point items.
The U.S. Open activation also marks Tiffany’s first-ever partnership with ARES, Snap’s AR Enterprise Services business, which allows businesses to use its AR technology in their owned and operated websites, apps, as well as physical locations.
The aim is to transform the way brands interact with consumers with a view to driving both engagement and generating increased revenue.
AR Mirrors help to bridge the gap between the digital and physical ownership. They serve as a bridge between Web2 and Web3 as they offer an easy way for people to wear and interact with digital assets.
Other technology outfits using the facility include ZERO10 and FFFACE.ME. Most recently ZERO10 powered an AR Mirror experience to animate the JD Sports x Nike Need it Now collection allowing visitors to virtually try on items from the line in New York and Chicago stores.
It had previously partnered with Coach for an installation in the latter’s New York Soho store featuring the brand’s hero Tabby Bag along with Tommy Hilfiger for its Tommy X Shawn Classics Reborn collection launch.
FFFACE.ME partnered with L’Oréal’s Mugler fragrance earlier this year on AR mirrors in Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, Alexa Mall in Berlin and PEP Mall in Munich.
Snap’s AR technology also allowed owners of Dior’s 470 ultra limited edition connected sneakers to wear their accompanying digital twins via a unique access code. It likewise animated Rimowa’s RTFKT collaboration via a filter activated by the tracking points on each of the cases.
Earlier this year, Snap and Vogue created a 16-day AR exhibition in London to coincide with London Fashion Week. The public facing show, Vogue x Snapchat: Redefining the Body was curated by Vogue’s Edward Enninful. It featured six custom designed rooms curated with Dior, Kenneth Ize, Richard Quinn, Stella McCartney, Thebe Magugu and Versace featuring AR and virtual try-on experiences.
Tiffany & Co’s relationship with the USTA began in 1987 when the House first started handcrafting the U.S. Open Singles and Doubles trophies.
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