Snapchat has launched a new advertising option called “sponsored AR filters”. From now on, brands can sponsor augmented reality (AR) filters in the app that users can add to their posts and that allow companies to create brand overlays for images, with the possibility of including links to advertising campaigns.
Thanks to this new feature, brands will not have to invest a lot of time and money to create a sponsored filter, as opposed to a full AR experience, since they will be able to upload existing assets and create filters from Snapchat’s template library.
“Without the need for external production costs, advertisers can effortlessly create sponsored AR filters in less than 10 minutes using Lens Web Builder, a free DIY tool for creating Filters and Lenses,” says Snapchat in a blog post. “This allows budget-conscious brands to participate without the expense of traditional production and graphic script creation.”
Lens Web Builder includes a series of templates for facial filters, location-based overlays, countdown timers, quiz generators, and much more, offering many opportunities to create simple and attractive overlays for advertising campaigns on Snapchat.
However, the filters are displayed after capturing the content, which makes them a less interactive experience than Snapchat‘s classic augmented reality filters, and could make them less interesting for the audience. Still, it remains another way to increase exposure in the app and connect with Snapchat users in a more enjoyable way than with traditional ads.
The company claims that brands can boost their visibility on Snapchat through in-stream CTA filters. Additionally, filters can also act as a complement to Lenses, applied after capture.
