Snapchat is introducing its first Sponsored Snap in Canada with Disney as an advertising partner, ahead of the debut of Moana 2, which hits theatres on Nov. 27.
The Snap, featuring Dwayne Johnson and AuliÊ»i Cravalho as Maui and Moana, will appear in the chat inboxes of the social network’s users over the age of 18. Several AR lenses showing environments and locations from the animated movie are also being released. U.S. users will also be able to view the sponsored post.
“The chat inbox is a powerful way to reach Snapchatters, and Sponsored Snaps are a natural extension of the way people already engage with businesses and brands on the platform,” said Matt McGowan, GM of Canada at Snapchat. “This new ad format will help advertisers, like Disney, expand their reach with the Snapchat community in Canada across two of the most widely and frequently used parts of our service.”
The tool, which officially launched in October, allows brands to send a full-screen vertical video directly to users’ inboxes. They can choose to open the Snap and participate by sending a message directly to the advertiser. If they don’t see it, it is removed from the inbox. Over time, Snapchat said the feature could grow to enable two-way interactions with AI, simplifying everything from customer service and personalized recommendations to quick transactions with businesses.
The social network recently announced that its Snap Map (a personalized map that allows users to see where their friends are and have been) will have sponsored locations of interest, allowing advertisers to reach more customers, increase visibility and interact with users locally. It will launch the feature with McDonald’s and Taco Bell as advertising partners in the coming months.
Snap posted advertising revenue of $1.25 billion in Q3, up 10% year-over-year. In Canada, the platform reaches more than 11 million monthly active users, with 75% aged 13 to 34. According to the app’s data, Canadians open the app an average of 40 times per day.
