Snap rolled out two new immersive advertising formats on Snapchat, which includes a foray into augmented reality (AR) as it looks to revive its fortunes and win new business.

Since going public nine months ago, Snap posted downbeat earnings, with its most recent Q3 2017 numbers showing a loss of $443.2 million, while user growth is also lagging.

To curb the decline, Snap already announced it will completely revamp its Android app.

Launching immersive adverts could help the company coax money out of businesses targeting the US teen market, TechCrunch noted.

The publication reported Snapchat is offering two new ad formats. The first, Promoted Stores, pins together a number of Snaps in a longer form slideshow. The second is considerably more immersive, allowing consumers to use an AR version of a product set in the world around them.

Snapchat’s existing adverts predominately feature an ad in a single Snap on its Stories or Discover content. The app also features sponsored creative tools, allowing users to try on masks for example.

However, this strategy was met with skepticism by advertisers.

Snap’s director of revenue product Peter Sellis told TechCrunch its advertising partners “have been asking for ways to tell deeper stories on mobile”.

TechCrunch pointed out the new ad trials go beyond what Facebook, a giant in the online advertising space, currently offers and the new formats could also make advertising content less skippable and more memorable.

New filters
Ahead of an app revamp, Snapchat is also featuring a new filter capable of recognising what is being snapped by users and automatically provide a relevant border or sticker.

Mashable reported the filters were gradually rolled out to users last week, citing confirmation from a Snap representative.

After a Snap is taken, the filters appear in the user’s carousel automatically, provided the content is included in a set of categories. These include borders or stickers for concerts, pets, sports and food.

Such contextual filters could also help with the company’s attempt to fuel revenue, as they can either be sponsored or serve as adverts in the future.