You may have noticed that after a promising start at 12.01 A.M. on January 1st, 2020 started to go rapidly downhill. Firstly, all of Australia caught fire, then the World Health Organization started getting twitchy about something going on in China, this was followed by NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna being tragically killed in a helicopter crash, then – boom – pan-bloody-demic.
So, now that we can no longer touch things or each other, the world has had to adapt through the application of cutting-edge tech. And, speaking of going downhill, one sports brand that has excelled at meeting 2020’s hands-off challenge is regal French winter sports brand Bollé.
Having launched its revolutionary app during the summer, allowing customers to try out the Phantom lens directly from a smartphone, now Bollé has announced the launch of a new augmented reality filter allowing consumers to not only look out and experience Bollé’s exclusive Phantom lens in the sought-after Nevada goggle, but also safely see what they look like wearing Bollé helmets and goggles without ever having to physically touch the products! This, naturally, assists winter sport retailers to help consumers experience Bollé whenever they are and make a more confident purchase, thus increasing sales opportunities and lessening the chance of a return.
Partnering with QReal and M7 Innovations, Bollé’s AR experience is a first for the helmet and goggle industry. Within Instagram, the demonstration invites users to ‘try-on’ and ‘try-out’ Bollé’s most technical photochromic lens: Phantom, along with the RYFT helmet, which is new for the 2020/21 season. The unique customer experience also goes beyond Instagram with interactive 3D models on the Bollé website, offering informational bullet points that can be moused over for detailed information. An industry-first, these points are also found on the back of the 3D models when spun around, allowing for a truly interactive online experience that no other retail brand has harnessed.
After seeing the helmet and goggle on their head, users can simply flip their camera from selfie-view to front-facing and Phantom lenses are superimposed on their actual view. Users then introduce goggle effects like high contrast, anti-fog, and photochromatic into their real surroundings to see Phantom lenses in action. Once users select a lens that suits their style and needs, they can purchase the product directly from the newly launched e-commerce Bollé website, or search for a participating dealer.
The program roll-out is promoted by its top winter athletes, Alexis Pinturault, French World Cup alpine ski racer with 2 Globes and 27 World Cup victories, and US Freestyle Ski team member and two-time gold medalist David Wise who can be seen in action in Bollé’s new AR video: Bollé Winter AR Video.
Using AR, users will experience first-hand what makes Bollé’s Phantom the leading lens in winter sports.
• Light Adaptive Technology: the user is presented with a slider that allows them to change their exposure, making the scene brighter or darker. They watch Phantom’s molecular photochromic filter adapt to changes in ambient light.
• Anti-Fog Treatment: the user’s view surrounding the goggles begins to fog up, simulating the fogging that occurs from sweat while skiing. This is due to fog condensing on the inner lens surface but thanks to the anti-fog treatment the view remains crystal clear, mimicking the real-world performance of Phantom Lenses in real-world situations.
• Low Temperature Sensitivity: The Phantom lens with exclusive LTS Technology (Low Temperature Sensitivity) delivers improved activation, darkening or lightening whether the temperature is -25°C or 5°C.
Bollé’s full line-up of Phantom lenses will be available in the AR demo, so consumers can select the lens that best works for them. The range includes:
• Phantom+ which in addition to all the Phantom technology also includes a semi-polarised film that reduces distracting glare and enhances contrast to distinguish ice from snow.
• Phantom Green Emerald lens is ideal for bright light conditions.
• Phantom Fire Red lens amplifies color contrast is ideal sunny days.
• Phantom Vermillion Blue is a versatile lens offering color definition and depth perception.
To try-on or try-out Nevada goggles with Phantom lenses and RYFT helmets users can scan a QR code that will take them to Instagram for the ultimate AR shopping experience.
