An FMCG brand has already decided on the idea for its AR campaign: it could be a game on the packaging, interactive content, a product demonstration, a promotional activation, or a mechanic connected to a loyalty program. The next practical question is how exactly the consumer will access this AR experience.
Most often, the choice comes down to two scenarios: the user scans a QR code or follows a link and launches WebAR in a browser, or interacts with an AR feature inside the brand’s mobile app.
This decision affects the user journey from the first contact to launching AR, the possibilities for integration with other digital tools, the campaign lifespan, repeat interactions, and the budget structure. Therefore, WebAR or a mobile app should be chosen not as a technology in itself, but as an access method that corresponds to the objectives of a specific AR campaign.
WebAR and AR in a Mobile App: What Is the Difference?
What Is WebAR?
WebAR (Web AR) is a format in which the AR experience is launched through a smartphone browser. The user does not need to install a separate AR app beforehand.
For FMCG, a typical journey may look like this:
packaging / POS material / advertising → QR code or link → browser → WebAR.
This model is particularly relevant when the first contact with the campaign takes place at the store shelf, after purchasing the product, through AR packaging, a promotional zone, or digital advertising. The consumer sees a call to action, scans the code, and proceeds directly to the AR interaction.
This is why AR without an app and AR in a browser should primarily be considered from the customer journey perspective. The fewer intermediate actions there are between the user’s interest and the launch of the mechanic, the easier it is to organize interaction in situations where contact with the brand may be brief.
AR in a Mobile App
The second option is to make AR part of the brand’s own mobile app. In this case, there are two fundamentally different scenarios.
If the app is already installed:
communication → app → AR feature.
If the user does not have the app:
communication → App Store / Google Play → installation → app → AR feature.
For an FMCG brand, it is important not to confuse integrating AR into an existing mobile product with creating a new augmented reality mobile app specifically for the campaign. In the second case, the creation and maintenance of the mobile product are added to the AR development itself, which affects the project scope, timeline, and budget.
What Criteria Should an FMCG Brand Use to Choose Between WebAR and an App?
There is no universal answer to the question “WebAR or a mobile app?” Different models may be optimal for a short-term promotional activation on packaging and for an ongoing loyalty mechanic. The decision should be evaluated according to three groups of criteria.
User Journey and Entry Point
For FMCG, one of the key factors is where a person first sees the invitation to interact with AR.
If the entry point is packaging, a label, POS material, or advertising, WebAR for FMCG makes it possible to build a direct scenario: the consumer scans a QR code and proceeds to the browser. There is no separate installation stage.
This is important for campaigns aimed at a broad audience that may not have interacted with the brand’s digital ecosystem at all before their first contact with the product.
A different situation arises if the company already has a popular mobile app that is regularly used by the target audience. In this case, an AR feature within the app can naturally continue the familiar customer journey.
However, if the app first needs to be found and installed specifically for a single activation, the journey becomes longer. Therefore, before choosing a format, the brand should answer the main question: is the target audience willing to install an app for this interaction, or should AR launch immediately after contact with packaging, POS materials, or advertising?
Functionality and Integrations
Choosing browser based AR does not mean that the campaign must be limited to a simple AR animation. WebAR can be used to implement 3D content, product demonstrations, animation, AR gamification, interactive packaging, promotional mechanics, and transitions to other digital actions.
Therefore, functionality should be evaluated at the level of a specific scenario rather than based on the assumption that WebAR is suitable only for simple activations.
A mobile app becomes particularly relevant when AR for a brand needs to be closely connected with an already established digital ecosystem: a personal account, an authorized profile, a loyalty program, personalized offers, other app features, or regular content updates.
For example, if AR is one of the elements of an ongoing AR loyalty mechanic and the user is already authorized in the app, integration can be a logical extension of the existing service.
At the same time, the need for integration itself does not determine the choice of technology. The feasibility of implementation should be assessed for the specific project, its backend, analytics, CRM, and other systems.
Campaign Duration, Repeat Interactions, and Budget
WebAR marketing is often worth considering for campaigns tied to a specific marketing occasion: a product launch, seasonal activation, limited edition, contest, short-term promotion, or a specific packaging series.
For example, if a brand launches a limited product series with interactive packaging, the consumer can scan a QR code and immediately proceed to a game or other AR content. In this scenario, reaching people without requiring them to already have the brand’s app is important.
Integration into a mobile app may be more logical if the app already exists, AR is planned to be used over a long period, the user is expected to return regularly, or the brand is preparing a series of activations rather than a single campaign.
The budget should also be evaluated separately. There is no universal rule that WebAR is always cheaper than mobile AR. The cost is influenced by the complexity of the mechanic, creation of 3D content, gamification, backend, integrations, analytics, and the number of languages and markets.
However, if a new mobile app needs to be created for a single AR campaign, the project gains another major component — development of the mobile product itself. This should be taken into account at the campaign planning stage.
When Is It More Appropriate for an FMCG Brand to Choose WebAR?
WebAR for packaging is a strong candidate when the entry point is the product, label, shelf, or POS material and the consumer needs to access the mechanic without prior preparation.
WebAR is worth considering when:
- the entry point is packaging or a label;
- the AR campaign is launched directly in retail;
- a significant part of the audience does not have the brand’s app;
- the number of actions before launching AR needs to be minimized;
- the activation is short-term or tied to a specific product;
- the mechanic involves a promotion, game, recipe, demonstration, or another one-time interaction;
- the brand wants to reach a broader audience rather than only users of its own app.
For these objectives, WebAR for FMCG makes it possible to turn packaging or an advertising medium into a direct entry point for digital interaction.
More information about the technology’s capabilities is available on the Augmented Reality page and in the WebAR section. A separate FMCG solutions page is also available for FMCG projects.
When Is It More Appropriate to Integrate AR into a Mobile App?
Integrating AR into an app primarily makes sense when the brand already has an established app audience and wants to make augmented reality part of a long-term interaction.
This option is worth considering if:
- the brand already has a mobile app;
- the target audience uses it regularly;
- AR needs to be connected to a loyalty program;
- the user already has an authorized profile;
- the campaign requires personalization;
- AR functionality will be used regularly;
- a series of activations is planned;
- interaction with the user should continue after the first AR contact.
At the same time, the existence of a mobile app does not in itself mean that augmented reality for FMCG must necessarily operate within it.
For example, a brand may have its own app but launch a campaign through packaging for a significantly broader audience. If only some consumers use the app, requiring them to install or open it may create an unnecessary additional step. In this situation, WebAR may still be better suited to the specific entry point.
Therefore, the decision should be made based on the behavior of the audience for the specific campaign rather than solely on the brand’s existing technology infrastructure.
How Should an FMCG Brand Make the Decision?
Before choosing between WebAR and an AR app, the brand team should go through a short checklist:
- Where will the user first see the campaign — on the packaging, shelf, POS material, in digital advertising, or directly in the app?
- Does the brand have its own mobile app, and what proportion of the target audience actually uses it?
- Is the campaign one-time, seasonal, or long-term?
- Are authorization, personalization, and integration with a loyalty program required?
- Does the user need to be brought back to AR regularly?
- What specific AR mechanic is planned?
- What are the launch timeline and available budget?
- What next action should the user take after completing the AR interaction?
If simple and direct access from packaging, POS materials, or advertising is critical, WebAR may be better suited to the campaign objective. If AR is intended to become a permanent feature of an existing digital ecosystem, work with an authorized audience, loyalty mechanics, and regular interactions, integration into a mobile app should be considered.
For an FMCG brand, the key criterion should not be which technology is better overall, but which method of accessing AR creates the optimal user journey for a specific campaign.
Planning an AR campaign and choosing between WebAR and a mobile app? The ADVIN team will help determine the format based on the campaign mechanics, entry point, required integrations, project lifespan, and the brand’s marketing objectives.
