MEDIA
RED BULL AR LENS
Motivation
This project was an opportunity to deepen technical expertise in augmented reality while working within the constraints of Snapchat’s Lens Studio. While commercial in nature, it served as a focused exercise in balancing visual fidelity with performance limitations on mobile devices. The lens pushed for realistic material rendering, responsive animation timing, and modular scripting in a real-time AR environment. It also provided insight into surface and image tracking workflows, as well as the challenges of delivering immersive, photorealistic assets under strict memory constraints. The project ultimately reinforced efficient asset optimization practices and strengthened the ability to quickly adapt to new development platforms under tight timelines.
Key Features & Implementations
-
JavaScript-driven animation timing and sequencing system
-
Custom PBR materials simulating metallic surfaces for photorealism
-
Optimized 3D assets and file types to meet strict Lens Studio memory limits
-
Dual user flow: tracked physical can or virtual surface placement
-
Surface and image tracking integration using Lens Studio components
-
Real-time lighting, shadow projection, and material reflection tuning
-
Clean, modular scripting architecture for rapid prototyping and iteration
Learning Outcomes
This project provided hands-on experience with the unique constraints of AR development within Lens Studio, particularly in achieving visual fidelity on mobile devices with limited memory. Balancing performance with realism sharpened my skills in asset optimization, material setup, and lighting configuration. Working with both image and surface tracking enhanced my understanding of spatial anchoring and user flow flexibility. The project also deepened my familiarity with JavaScript-based scripting in AR environments and reinforced the importance of modular design for rapid iteration under tight deadlines
Project Summary
The final delivered project was an interactive augmented reality experience developed in Lens Studio for Snapchat, created as part of Red Bull’s Olympic campaign. The lens anchors a photorealistic Red Bull can using image tracking or spawns a virtual can on a flat surface via spatial tracking—allowing users to witness an animated athlete (Mondo Duplantis) perform a dynamic pole vault and podium celebration in real-world environments.
​
The system is built around JavaScript-driven animation sequencing, modular asset spawning logic, and optimized 3D assets configured with custom PBR materials. These materials simulate realistic reflections, shadows, and surface response—balancing high visual fidelity with Lens Studio’s strict performance and memory constraints. Two distinct user flows were implemented: one detecting a real can for enhanced realism, and another using surface tracking to enable full functionality without a physical product.
​
The project was developed in collaboration with a cross-disciplinary team at Aircards and integrated into a broader front-end web experience. Built under a tight turnaround, the lens served as both a promotional tool and a technical deep dive into mobile AR performance, photorealism, and platform-specific best practices.
​
Tools & Software
-
Snapchat Lens Studio
-
Photoshop
-
Autodesk FBX Exporter
-
Figma​
Programming Language
-
JavaScript
​
Roles
-
AR Developer