Rakuten Viber Introduces AR Lenses Created by Local Experts
One of the factors that define the success of one of the world’s leading messaging apps, Rakuten Viber, in Myanmar is the global experience coupled with local expertise. Paving the way for the future of messaging apps in Myanmar, Rakuten Viber is delighted to launch Lenses with Augmented Reality in Burmese in collaboration with rangoon.tech and many local artists including Sassy Bound. The initiative aims to provide a window to positivity, hope, and togetherness, and bring joy to people in a current situation. By using a lens, Myanmar users can transform themselves into an old Burmese toy Pyit Taing Htaung TOY (PTH Toy Lens), play a game of clay pot balance and challenge their friends, or role play as U Shwe Yoe (Upcoming lens). PTH is a traditional Myanmar toy, a symbol of good luck and resilience as it always gets up by itself when thrown down.
That’s not all. Apart from these, there are various other lenses based on themes like the WWF animal, the Football from FC Barcelona, and other interesting themes like Beautification where users can enhance images with realistic touches like lipstick, blush, and a variety of hair colors.
Photo Source thantsettun@mangomyanmargroup.com
Commenting on the launch, David Tse, Senior Director for APAC at Rakuten Viber, said, “Lenses appeal to users from all walks of life and act as an additional mode of expressing feelings beyond words. Being committed to Myanmar and its people, we associated with rangoon.tech and Joosk Studio to promote local artists and talents to develop lenses and sticker packs and provide them with the opportunity to showcase their impressive work on our platform. This will also uplift the spirit of people and help them in coping up with the current situation with a small bundle of creativity.”
Speaking of the association, Kyaw Zin Hted, Cofounder of Rangoon tech, Myanmar-based AR Lens Developer, said, “Since the collaboration of Viber and Snapchat started globally, we were looking for an opportunity to work with them. We feel great to be chosen to create the official Viber Lens for Myanmar and sincerely thank the team for believing in our artists and their talent during these trying times. We hope to expand our reach and embark on a new journey of digital transformation and look forward to a mutually beneficial long-term partnership with Viber.”
Users need to click on the camera icon inside their Viber app and then click on the ghost icon to launch the repertoire of lenses. From the carousel, they can choose any lens as per their mood or feeling and click on it to load it on their camera.
