SAKS FIFTH AVENUE 
AR Filter and Video

Selling the Dream by Turning Instagram Filters into a High-Fidelity Fitting Room

Partnership

In the Know

Sector

Entertainment • Luxery • Products

Concept

When the holiday season hit during a pandemic, Saks faced a dual challenge: fear of stores and an urgent need to connect with Gen Z.

I wanted to transform passive social scrolling into active co-creation, an Augmented Reality experience that turns the mobile screen into both virtual fitting room and instant holiday escape. The trick being that every interaction, achieved with just a turn of the head, had to feel premium, never gimmicky.

Users selected an AR holiday backdrop on Instagram, then virtually tried on Saks products and accessories to complete their look. From there, they could shop their curated selections in the Saks Holiday Gift Guide—a digital shopping experience that met Gen Z where they already were.

Strategy

When you treat your audience like collaborators in a shareable experience, not wallets, the numbers follow.

Role

Associate Creative Director: Concept, UX/UI Design

Recognition 

Adweek ↗
VR World Tech ↗
Pressboard: Top 10↗ 

Results

Engagement

125%+

32% of AR filter users clicked through to the standalone Gift Guide and stayed for an average of 1:21 minutes, surpassing industry benchmarks

Activation

My activation strategy leveraged a key insight: people love looking at themselves. I designed the AR filter to be addictive—users couldn't resist trying multiple holiday backdrops and product combinations, then sharing their looks as Stories or Reels. I built a seamless path from every share back to the Gift Guide, creating a viral loop that turned customers into brand ambassadors and amplified reach organically beyond paid media.

Impact

The activation went beyond simple product display. It sold confidence through virtual try-on, aspiration through the holiday retreat theme, and community through shareability, connecting with Gen Z on their terms. But the impact extended beyond Saks. By delivering a premium AR experience that matched luxury brand standards, this work repositioned Yahoo/In the Know as a credible player in the high-end market where they had no prior foothold, opening doors to future luxury partnerships.

Credits

Projects 
Ideas
About

LinkedIn
Info@duanebruton.com
© 2025