The creative on Snapchat has evolved a lot since those puking rainbow filters.
On Tuesday, Snap released sponsored AI lenses, a new generative AI ad format that users can interact with.
The format, which Snap has been testing since late last year, is powered by One Snap, the company’s name for its homegrown generative AI tech.
Snap’s philosophy when it comes to using generative AI is “as a tool to enhance creativity, not replace it,” Grace Kao, VP of consumer and business marketing, told AdExchanger.
The new sponsored AI lenses format is an example of that ethos in action, she said.
“We’re helping advertisers find new ways of storytelling and driving engagement,” Kao said, “while ensuring that these experiences feel organic and fun for Snapchatters.”
AI-generated vibes
The new format allows users to incorporate themselves into branded AI-generated visuals using the front-facing camera on their phone.
Tinder, for example, which tested the format before its general release, created an AI lens called “My 2025 Dating Vibe” around New Year’s Eve that automatically incorporated users into different themed backgrounds while wearing distinct outfits, like standing on a bridge in Amsterdam donning a studded black leather jacket.
Uber Eats, also an early tester, developed an AI lens using a similar idea timed to Thanksgiving to place people in different cozy and festive settings.
The idea is to “go beyond static ads,” Kao said, so users can more “organically integrate brands into their conversations with their friends.”
Through the lens
Brands work with Snap’s production team to come up with the prompts, themes and poses, and Snap produces the lenses in house. Each sponsored AI lens can include up to 10 different transformations.
Kao declined to share specific details on pricing.
The lenses are currently only available as a premium managed service and not through Snap’s self-serve ad platform. They appear as a “first lens unlimited,” which is a takeover feature that lets advertisers place their sponsored lenses as the first camera ad experience that all Snapchatters see over a 24-hour period in their lens carousel.
The carousel – an interface within the Snapchat camera tab where users can browse and select lenses and filters to add to their photos or videos – reaches roughly 300 million people per day.
Snap vs. the Goliaths
Snap is far from the only ad platform investing in generative AI ad formats.
Meta, Google, TikTok, Pinterest and others have all been aggressively pushing their generative AI ad offerings.
But Snap’s take on AI-generated ad creative is a little different, Kao said, because the technology “enables real-time, interactive brand engagement.”
“Unlike some of the other platforms that primarily use gen AI for text or image generation,” she said, “our approach allows brands to create experiences that Snapchatters can actively participate in.”
