Meta’s looking to make a big splash to promote its latest model AI glasses, with a Super Bowl ad spot that will feature a range of well-known celebrities adorned with its wearable device.
As you can see in this teaser, Meta’s Super Bowl promotion will feature its latest model Oakley Meta AI glasses, which are designed to appeal to athletes, though Spike Lee can wear them as well, so…
As per Meta:
“Spike Lee. Marshawn Lynch. iShowSpeed. PGA Tour breakout star Akshay Bhatia. Olympians Sky Brown, Kate Courtney, and Sunny Choi. These are the headliners as Oakley Meta prepares to make its debut at the big game on February 8, bringing to life the capabilities of Oakley Meta Performance AI Glasses through the lens of elite athletes in high-energy, unexpected ways.”
Meta will air two different promotions during the game, both highlighting the benefits of its Oakley Meta glasses, which come in two variations: HSTN and Vanguard.
The use of popular influencers will help to boost interest in the device, while a focus on the beneficial features seems more likely to drive interest than its last Super Bowl ad for its Ray Bans, which featured Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt and Kris Jenner in a nonsensical art appreciation scenario (or something).
Meta launched its Oakley Meta AI glasses in June last year, as a complement to its existing Ray Ban variation, designed in conjunction with EssilorLuxottica, the owner of both Oakley and Ray Ban.
That partnership is a key element in making Meta’s AI glasses, and eventually its AR glasses as well, more appealing to the public, using established styles, and the assistance of the EssilorLuxottica team, to develop a more appealing wearable device.
Because as we’ve seen with other high-tech wearables, if they don’t look cool, eventually, nobody’s going to use them.
Google Glass died out at least partially because they looked like the glasses that shooters wear in the Olympics, while Snapchat’s Spectacles launched to major hype, but then fizzled quickly, leaving Snap with millions in unsold inventory.
Having stylish sunglasses that resemble already popular models is a big bonus for Meta, because if you’re already going to spend a couple of hundred bucks for some new shades, then forking out a little extra for a constant AI companion is a more viable path to purchase for many.
And Meta has locked up its partnership with EssilorLuxottica to ensure that its competitors can’t take the same route, by buying a 3% stake in the business. That will give it some say over its future commercial agreements, which will make it much harder for others to take the same route to cultural relevance.
And thus far, Meta’s AI glasses are resonating. The broader hype around AI, and the reframing of the device around this specific element, has seen sales rise to the point that Meta can barely keep up with demand.
I doubt that its Oakley variations are selling at the same pace just yet, but it’s amazing what an endorsement from an influencer like iShowSpeed can do for products.
