Snapchat's AR brings to life work of 'Hope' poster maker Shepard Fairey and other artists

Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY

Famed artist Shepard Fairey is creating a new mural to spotlight AIDS research, and it will be unveiled in London Friday.

But Thursday, fans of the Snapchat app can open the camera and see the mural via augmented reality, as well as put themselves digitally into the artwork itself.

This is part of a global (RED) campaign, the organization started by U2 frontman Bono and activist Bobby Shriver. (RED) calls Paint (RED) Save Lives "the first global street art campaign to end AIDS."

Shepard Fairey is creating a lens for Snapchat to help build awareness for (RED)
Shepard Fairey is creating a lens for Snapchat to help build awareness for (RED)

The Paint (RED) campaign looks to commission more than 20 murals and installations in Washington, D.C., New York, Berlin, London, Paris, Jersey City, Accra, Malmo, Cape Town, and Lyon over a three-week period.

Besides Fairey, the street artist best known for creating the iconic “HOPE” portrait for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, other artists involved include Bisco Smith, Ron English, Stephen Powers, Trevor and Cosmo, and WK Interact.

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A Shepard Fairey Snapchat lens
A Shepard Fairey Snapchat lens

The Lens application is a popular feature on the Snapchat app that lets users superimpose funny faces and different outfits on themselves, via augmented reality, and put pictures of other locations – say an Eiffel Tower – into their image.

The Lenses are used by some 70% of all Snapchatters, says Jeff Miller, the senior director of creative media for Snapchat, generating about 250 million minutes of daily AR play time.

“The beauty of our platform is you don't have to travel to see the murals," he says. "We bring them to you."

To access the Lenses in Snapchat, users have two options. They can find them in the Lens wheel when they open the camera in the Snapchat app, or, folks can look to (RED) on social media, where the "Snapcodes" are being shared. If on the computer, scan the code with the Snapchat camera and the Lens will open up. Or, if on the phone, there will be a URL link next to the Snapcode that will allow users to open the Lens in Snapchat.

Follow USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham (@jeffersongraham) on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AR lets Snapchat bring artists' work to life for (RED) AIDS campaign