Gucci is undoubtedly one of the leaders in the luxury industry when it comes to appealing to millennials. The brand doubled its sales in 2018 and consumers under 35 years old accounted for over half of those sales. According to Kering, Gucci’s sales continued to grow in the first quarter of 2019 with revenue up 24.6 per cent. via GIPHY Creative director Alessandro Michele calls this millennial fan base the “Gucci Gang”, and the brand has tailored its strategy to attract more followers to this gang, primarily through the use of innovative technology, the latest example of which is its new augmented reality-based app. Will we be lost without Google’s new augmented reality Maps? via GIPHY Gucci recently updated its app with an AR (augmented reality) function, which allows customers to virtually try on its coveted Ace sneakers. The way it operates is for you to first choose a shoe style, then angle your phone over your feet, which allows the AR Ace sneakers to layer over your feet or the shoes you’re currently wearing, similar to how photo filters work. STYLE Edit: Togas and Mickey Mouse inspire Gucci’s Cruise 2020 collection Gucci is the first fashion brand to introduce shoe AR on its app, with technology powered by Belarus-based start-up Wannaby. As a lover of e-commerce – I purchase my designer wardrobe almost exclusively online – the AR function definitely adds value to my shopping experience. The decision to introduce the AR technology through its Ace sneakers was an inspired one, as the low-top sneakers are already Gucci’s top-selling products, and customers are already familiar with the variety of designs before this launch. STYLE Edit: Gucci’s Hong Kong Wall Art highlights luxury brand’s Pre-Fall 2019 campaign As any Gucci fan knows, the sneakers are highly customisable – they come in a variety of colours and patterns, many of which feature Gucci’s signature motifs such as the “Double G logo”, the “GG monogram” and the more recent “Mystic Cat” and “Bee Print”. The app now allows you to virtually try on up to 19 different styles of Ace sneakers. While playing with the app, I could take pictures with my sneakers and share them with friends and on social media. Meanwhile, the “Shop Gucci.com” button would lead me to its local e-store to purchase the exact pair I just virtually tried on. There were a few exceptions during which I was led to the homepage of the e-store instead. On the whole, however, the experience was user-friendly and felt personalised to my interests. Harry Styles is the new face of Gucci’s men’s tailoring campaign Although I very much enjoyed “trying on” the Ace sneakers and taking pictures of them with my different outfits in the comfort of my home, I do find there is still room for improvement when it comes to creating a more seamless omnichannel shopping experience. I would love to have the freedom to customise Ace sneakers using the AR technology, for example, and I would like to see the brand leverage new technology in the future to have a more three-dimensional view of the sneakers. Final verdict: while the app might be more about fun than function, and more about an immersive experience than serious sales conversion, I’d still encourage people to give it a try. It is something new, something different and very apt for the Gucci Gang. Now with Gucci using AR technology to enhance online shopping experiences, we might see more luxury brands jumping on this innovative bandwagon. Want more stories like this? Sign up here . Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter
