Internet interiors
In the age of Media Kitchens, AR offers a means for restaurants and food brands to invite customers to experience their worlds digitally via lenses and filters. Indeed, home-bound restaurant patrons have embraced delivery in unprecedented numbers in recent months and by 2023, Technavio forecasts the market for on-demand food services is poised to grow at a CAGR of 15% to a value of £80bn ($104bn, €88bn).
But technology’s ability to extend and enhance the restaurant experience remotely also boasts the added benefit of engaging those who are wary of returning to public spaces. Food delivery platforms are now creating digital touchpoints for customers to experiment with. DoorDash, for example, recently sponsored a set of Snapchat filters inviting users to immerse themselves in virtual versions of popular restaurant chains.
When the filter is activated, Snapchat users can either take a selfie of themselves superimposed in a restaurant interior, or use their phone’s rear-facing camera to explore these virtual spaces. With the aim of making consumers feel more connected to their favourite eateries, the AR filters build on DoorDash’s Lunchroom programme, which was first launched in April when the platform created video chat backgrounds and curated Spotify playlists for its restaurant partners.
Immaterial eats
As consumers become more comfortable interacting and engaging with food online, creatives are designing food filters and digital restaurants that exist solely on social media. These concepts create digital alternatives to traditional eating and drinking occasions, but they also more broadly push the boundaries of how foodstuffs can be consumed.
