New Ray-Ban Meta ad features Anderson Paak, Tinashe, James Blake

Since their initial release in 2021, Ray-Ban and Meta’s smart glasses have become some of the most successful in the wearable tech niche.

The smart glasses are among the best-selling Ray-Ban products in 60% of all Ray-Ban stores in international territories, including Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Similarly, in the US, EssilorLuxxotica’s executive leadership recently announced that the newest generation of this eyewear is already rapidly outselling its predecessors despite only having been rolled out in the last few months.

Apart from its obvious tech innovations, the biggest reason for this collaboration’s success is its timely use of celebrity partnerships. Since its original launch, Ray-Ban and Meta have tapped several big names across various fields, including music. Just this October 16th, the companies continued this trend by officially sharing their latest promotions featuring musicians Anderson .Paak, Tinashe, and James Blake.

What are the Ray-Ban Metas?

In all fairness, the idea of smart specs is nothing new. For decades, companies like Google and Snapchat have forayed into this kind of eyewear to create a new means of sharing content and interacting with different environments. However, these ultimately failed to prosper due to limiting factors. For instance, in the Google Glass specs, consumers were unhappy with the expensive price tag, clunky design, and murky privacy regulations. Ultimately, this caused the glasses to be pulled out of the market in 2023.

With this in mind, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses work because they provide a stylish and functional take on this wearable tech concept. Made with the latest in wearable tech and presented using Ray-Ban’s iconic frame designs, these glasses will keep you connected no matter where you go in a sleek and trendy fashion. In terms of silhouette, it comes in several fashionable models, including the Wayfarer, Headliner, and Skyler. To further suit the unique aesthetics that consumers crave, these come in multiple colorways, including limited edition transparent grey options. As per Meta, these are already sold out on most online platforms. Additionally, the glasses can be used with specialized lenses. This includes prescriptions and even Transitions lenses, which have photochromic capabilities that help their glasses adapt to different light conditions.

Of course, the technological advancements of the Ray-Ban Metas are nothing to scoff at, either. Now enhanced with multi-modal AI, the glasses can perform several tasks with a simple voice prompt. Using the “Hey Meta,” prompt, you can even take calls, listen to different forms of audio, send texts, and listen to answers to real-time questions you can pose your virtual assistant. For the most seamless content creation and consumption, temple-tip speakers and a discreet, ultra-wide 12-megapixel camera allow you to capture important moments and even lifestream them. With up to 36 hours of play on a single charge, these smart glasses are a realistic and fashionable take on this wearable breakthrough.

When musicians meet smart glasses

That said, what better way to illustrate just how the Ray-Ban Metas can keep up with daily life than through the eyes of some of the busiest performers today? Just recently, musicians Tinashe, Anderson .Paak, and James Blake officially joined the Ray-Ban Meta roster of endorsers. In their campaign, which was shared on the eyewear collaboration’s official social media pages, the trio are shown making the most of the glasses’ multi-modal hands-free perks.

In a video reel, rapper and producer Anderson is shown unboxing the latest generation of smart glasses. Naturally, the unboxing video, which highlights the Wayfarer style, is also shot from the direct POV that the Ray-Ban Metas offers. Meanwhile, singer Tinashe’s reels show behind-the-scenes footage of her shooting with the glasses in the Skylar colorway. Finally, crooner James Blake features in a series of still photos, including more casual shots and professionally shot advert images, all while wearing the Headliner style.

Through a separate 30-second commercial, the three are shown using the glasses’ new multimodal AI updates. This includes Anderson asking the Meta AI to provide him reminders, Tinashe asking the AI to make real-time calculations in line with her surroundings, and Blake livestreaming the party they’re at. The campaign, championed by Black-owned creative agency Translation, is part of Ray-Ban and Meta’s efforts to highlight and create “slice of life” ads that underscore the chic practicality of these specs. Before these new ads, both companies had worked alongside other music icons like Erykah Badu and Busta Rhymes. In the latter’s case, the Ray-Ban Metas were featured as an immersive way to capture content. Given that Busta Rhymes spent the first half of the year on his Blockbusta Tour of North America, it made sense that his Ray-Ban Meta campaign included him shooting first-person videos onstage.

Of course, considering that the latest iteration of the Ray-Ban Metas is said to include even more new advantages, like live translations, QR code scanning, and compatibility with platforms like Audible, there is a big chance we’ll see more musician-led campaigns that will highlight these.

 

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Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn