Outdoor gear brand packs detail into product images with AR

Mystery Ranch is enhancing its direct-to-consumer e-commerce efforts with 3-D augmented reality (AR) technology from Vertebrae.

The Bozeman, Montana-based manufacturer and retailer of specialty backpacks and outdoor accessories wanted to add images of its packs on actual people to its e-commerce site. Mystery Ranch designs packs specifically for uses such as military, wildland firefighters, backcountry hunting, and alpinism, and sought to display intricate details such as thread and stitching on static product images.

The company also realized it would be important for online shoppers to see the size and fit of the pack itself for use in their chosen environments, beyond seeing measurements on the product pages. In March 2020, Mystery Ranch launched 3D and AR product visualizations from Vertebrae with 10 select packs. Online customers could compare an actual pack to an AR pack, with the ability to zoom in close and see the woven fabric at a high resolution.

Customer response was positive, with a 115% increase in desktop conversion rate and 70% conversion rate increase on mobile devices for users who engaged with the Vertebrae 3D & AR experience, compared to those that did not engage. The company also reported an increase of average order value of 18% for a three-month period between September and December 2020 for people who engaged with the Vertebrae experiences.

Based on these results, Mystery Ranch continues to roll out Vertebrae 3D and AR technology to enhance how products are displayed on its site. Another specialty outdoor retailer, Yeti, also recently started leveraging Vertebrae technology to help online shoppers engage with virtual products in their own physical environments and view 3D items from every angle to get a visual sense of dimensions and examine item construction, material durability, and organization.