Don’t be surprised to see more celebrities wearing Meta Ray-Bans, or creators filming original content using their glasses.
In a landmark hiring, Meta has appointed Jim Shepard as Director of Content and Creator Partnerships, with a specific focus on Meta’s wearables business. Hollywood Reporter I’ve learned.
Shepherd joins Meta from Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, where he was Senior Director of Content Partnerships, where he led the company’s relationships with creators, celebrity talent, media, sports and music as well as the company’s content strategy, editorial and community efforts.
Meta is expected to benefit from those relationships as the tech giant, which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, continues to build its wearables business. Meta Ray-Bans have been a real success for the company, combining the form factor of classic sunglasses with cameras and a built-in voice assistant. The company also recently launched Oakley Meta sunglasses.
A new Meta Ray-Ban device with a built-in display is currently in the works, and reports indicate that the company is planning a slate of other wearables as well, which aim to take advantage of the company’s built-in AI assistant technology.
Platforms, whether video-first platforms like TikTok or YouTube or broader social platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, have developed expanded creator partnerships teams, aimed at encouraging creators to post content and engage with users there. Even AI companies are getting into the game (perhaps with wearables in mind), with OpenAI hiring Instagram’s Charles Burch earlier this year.
In some ways, wearables are the next frontier. The built-in cameras in smart glasses mean they are ideal for capturing content, while interactivity can lead to social elements evolving over time.
Snap, where Shepherd joined Meta, was the first company to explore space using its Spectacles, which will launch in 2016.
