Footlocker is combining 2 of the hottest trends in internet culture to build hype around the latest Air Jordan sneakers

Foot Locker

• Foot Locker is unveiling a first-of-its-kind Snapchat Lens this Christmas, which people can use to 'unbox' Gatorade sneakers using augmented reality.
•  The retailer is trying to turn a typical product demonstration into a shareable social experience rooted in sneaker culture.

You don't have to stand in huge lines or be a mega influencer to get your hands on the latest Gatorade AJ1 sneakers when they drop next week. Anyone can unbox and try the new sneakers on, albeit virtually on Snapchat.  

Foot Locker is rolling out the first-of-its-kind Snapchat Lens this Christmas. Sneakerheads will be able to 'unbox' the colorful new sneakers by placing images of the shoes within their photos and videos on Snapchat - before they hit the shelves the following day.

With the lens, Foot Locker and its agency BBDO New York are seeking to creatively combining augmented reality and unboxing - two of the hottest trends in technology and internet culture. By tapping into unboxing (a phenomena where people watch other people open products on YouTube) by using AR, they are hoping fans turn a basic product demo into a sharable social experience rooted in sneaker culture.

"AR was the perfect way to enable our consumers to feel like they're opening the shoes a day early," said BBDO New York's Executive Creative Director Dan Lucey. "It's also nice to unbox something you really want on Christmas even if it's in augmented reality."

The lens will be available to Snapchat users on Christmas, allowing them to 'explore' the new sneakers in augmented reality, take them for a walk and even find fun easter eggs, like a basketball hoop. They can even customize their sneakers in different colors. The lens will be available to users until early January 2018.

While this is the first Snapchat lens for Foot Locker, brands have increasingly been tapping into Snapchat's fun and quirky AR-powered lenses and filters. Snapchat, for its part, has also cemented its position as a leader in augmented reality, rolling out animated filters for brands. 

BBDO's goal is to build awareness around the sneakers' launch, and will be tracking engagement with the lens and sales for the Gatorade AJ1's to measure the success of the campaign, said Lucey.

In addition to the Snapchat lens, Foot Locker is also releasing a new 60-second ad featuring NBA star Kawhi Leonard on both TV and social, as well as three different 10 second-ads on Snapchat and Instagram Stories.