Unless you've been living under a rock for all of 2017, it's impossible that you've missed the impact that augmented reality has had on American tech culture. Augmented reality, technology that superimposes a computer-generated image onto a user's view of the real world, exploded seemingly overnight with the release of apps like Pokémon Go and Snapchat "filters," which allow the user to take advantage of their smartphone's camera to play games or create fun pictures. However, in the coming year, we will likely see brands capitalize on this wildly popular technology for more practical purposes. Here are three examples of brands that could potentially improve their sales and marketing with the assistance of augmented reality. 

Sephora. From virtual foundation matching to the ability to "try on" a new shade of lipstick from the comfort of one's own home, there are an endless number of possibilities for makeup giant Sephora to use augmented reality to improve customer satisfaction. Plus, because returned cosmetics are unsanitary and cannot be resold, even a small reduction in returns can help save money. 

Louis Vuitton. Luxury handbag retailers with far-and-in-between retail locations could massively benefit from the use of augmented reality to help customers visualize the size of their next purchase. Using augmented reality to allow customers to get a feel of how their new purchases will look helps to make the product more accessible while also reducing the possibility of theft. 

Advance Auto Parts. Augmented reality has the potential to remove the need for billable man hours when it comes to trying on cosmetic vehicle upgrades, like rim changes or spoiler additions. Users could simply aim their camera at the relevant part of their vehicle, and cycle through a number of options at the push of a button.

This year, expect to see more of your favorite brands taking advantage of augmented reality to show off their product in a whole new light. Only time will tell who will be the first companies to latch onto this profitable and growing marketing innovation.