Paramount Pictures is ramping up advertising for the new Ghost in the Shell film by partnering with YouCam, a makeup augmented reality mobile application, to try on movie-inspired looks and products ahead of the film?s release.

Users can test out looks and sample products that are curated by the YouCam team and inspired by the film. This partnership shows how entertainment media companies can leverage a variety of unique mobile experiences to promote their releases in addition to the standard video and display advertising models.

?Perfect Corp. is honored to kick off our first official feature film collaboration with Ghost in the Shell,? said Alice H. Chang, CEO of Perfect Corp. ?The movie is the perfect platform to create this type of integration where modern life and technology intersect. It is very exciting to deliver a best-in-class augmented reality experience to over 400 million YouCam users and dedicated Ghost in the Shell fans around the world.?

With the rise of the mobile channel, marketers have even more tools to play with than ever before.

As apps can be pretty much whatever the developers want, this provides countless new interactive avenues for marketers to get their messages out on. 

Paramount is taking advantage of this brave new world by partnering with Perfect Corp?s series of YouCam apps.

These apps work by letting users virtually try on different makeup and beauty products thanks to an augmented reality function that projects the products onto a customer?s face.

This app has seen significant success for the beauty product suppliers who partner with the brand such as Ardell but can also be sued for marketers outside of the beauty world.

Paramount is getting in on the action with a partnership with YouCam to promote the new film Ghost in the Shell.

Customers can try out looks inspired by different characters from the film modeled off their looks and personality.

Additionally, each character will also have their own unique filters and animated content through the app. 

Finally, users will be eligible to win free tickets to see the movie when it premieres at the end of March.

After a marketing campaign that has suffered some serious backlash, Ghost in the Shell needs all the positive press it can get.

The film has been dogged by criticism of whitewashing in its casting of Scarlett Johansson as the Japanese character of Motoko Kusunagi from the original Japanese series.

Another marketing campaign that asked consumers to overlay their own text over film-related images took off in a different direction as consumers used it to voice their displeasure at the casting.

YouCam may provide an easier time for Paramount due to its history of positive brand campaigns.

The app recently added live streaming to its feature set (see story) as well as a Halloween campaign with Ardell that saw success (see story).

Paramount is banking on the positive association the app has to offset some of the negative press the film has been getting.

?YouCam?s impressive mobile app capabilities take full advantage of the exciting visual design of the film?s characters,? said LeeAnne Stables, president of worldwide marketing partnerships for Paramount Pictures.