When it comes to augmented reality and promotional products, SnugZ USA (asi/88060) says it has pioneered a first for the industry.

On Monday, Jan. 24, the West Jordan, UT-based Top 40 promo products supplier announced the debut of Swagar, an augmented-reality product experience that enables users to view and interact with a digital representation of a product in the real world through a smartphone or tablet.

Jeff Anderton, SnugZ USA’s director of content, believes promo’s future will entail a blend of physical product and digital experiences.

Compatible with iOS and Android phones and tablets, no apps or additional downloads are required for Swagar to work its digital-age magic.

“With the scan of a QR code with the phone’s native camera, customers are able to view the product in a three-dimensional space and then enter into a real-life AR environment to view and share,” SnugZ USA stated.

So far, Swagar is available on 20 products featured on the SnugZ website (www.snugzusa.com). Plans are to expand the service to many more items in the months ahead.

Jeff Anderton, SnugZ USA’s director of content, said the firm strongly believes that the future of the branded merch industry will be a blend of physical product and digital experiences – a key reason the supplier developed Swagar.

This breakdown from SnugZ explains how to use Swagar. Click here for a pdf

“AR is coming,” Anderton said. “Being the first to market was important as we’ve been able to set the stage on how it’s utilized, marketed and branded. We are continually striving to be a leader in intelligent innovations and know our new suite of Swagar sales tools will help differentiate our distributors from their competition.”

Here's how Swagar works: Users point their smartphone or tablet at a Swagar-enabled QR code for a particular product. A link will appear, which users will tap to view the item. Finally, users can switch to the AR view by tapping the AR icon in the top right of their smartphone/tablet screen and then pointing it at a flat surface.

Based on reported 2020 North American promo products revenue of $57.5 million, SnugZ USA ranked 27^th on Counselor’s most recent list of the largest suppliers in the industry. The company made headlines across promo in early January 2022 when executives announced the acquisition of Sweda Company (asi/90305), the 17^th-largest supplier in the industry.