Recently, according to foreign media TechCrunch exposure the news that Snap had quietly acquired a 3D marketing solution provider named Th3rd last year. It is reported that Th3rd was founded in 2014, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, its business is mainly 3D scanning, 3D modeling, to provide brands and retailers with bulk product digitization, 3D solutions, application scenarios including product preview, animation, digital presentation, mobile applications, AR/VR and so on. Previously, the company has worked with Adidas to create 3D digitization solutions for more than 2,500 pairs of sneakers.  
 
Snap has now confirmed the acquisition and revealed that four members of the Th3rd team have joined Snap after the acquisition was completed, but otherwise did not disclose the size of the acquisition or the purpose of the acquisition. It is understood that Th3rd technology has been used to enhance Snap's AR business, such as ARES, an AR enterprise service launched recently.
 
The ARES service aims to provide brand customers with better AR capabilities, including access to Snapchat AR filters on official websites and apps for 3D visualization, AR try-on and other scenarios. Previously, Snap's AR marketing was mainly focused in its own app Snapchat, but now through AR Enterprise Service, it also allows customers to introduce Snapchat filters on their own platforms. Unlike Snapchat AR filters, these filters can be seen as WebAR and can be run on the web side without the need to jump to Snapchat.
 
In recent years, in order to promote AR visualization and other businesses, Snap has continued to acquire AR-related companies, including WaveOptics, Fit Analytics, Vertebrae, Forma, and others, in addition to Th3rd. It is clear that Snap sees the potential of AR visualization, and its previous research has predicted that the AR retail market will be worth $1.2 trillion in 2023. And, since 2021, 250 million users have used Snapchat AR filters, more than half of the app's daily users. Not only Snap, but other companies such as Amazon, Pinterest, and Google are also beginning to explore the prospect of AR try-ons. And clients such as MAC, Ulta Beauty, American Eagle, Puma, Chanel, Walmart, LVMH, and others are beginning to adopt AR marketing through partnerships.