Snapchat launches Sponsored AI Lenses for advertisers
Snapchat is introducing Sponsored AI Lenses, a new ad format powered by Snap’s proprietary generative AI technology (One Snap).
Snapchat says Sponsored AI Lenses allows brands to create personalized, AI-generated images that place Snapchatters at the centre of brand experiences. Snapchatters can immerse themselves in new environments through an ad format that aligns with user habits, driving high engagement and deep brand storytelling for advertisers on the platform.
Sponsored AI Lenses customers include brands like Uber and Tinder. For Thanksgiving, Uber launched its”My Thanksgiving Vibe” AI Lens, and for New Years Eve, Tinder launched its”My 2025 Dating Vibe” AI Lens. Additionally, artists like Coldplay have also used AI Lenses for the launch of Moon Music.
Netflix Games to launch The World of Peppa Pig
Netflix Games is planning to launch a new mobile kids app called The World of Peppa Pig in June as part of its recently refocused gaming strategy that’s now leaning into games for young viewers.
The World of Peppa Pig will boast educational activities such as puzzles, mini-games and coloring books featuring characters from Hasbro’s iconic preschool series, and Netflix is complementing the app’s release with the launch of new Peppa Pig episodes in the US.
Kids & family content drives nearly 15% of all viewing on Netflix, and Peppa Pig is a big performer for the streamer, with season six (22.4 million views), and seasons one and three (17 million views each) all making it into its top-100 most-watched list for July to December 2024.
Netflix has made no bones about its determination to get into the multi-billion dollar gaming industry. In its Q4 financial results, the streamer revealed that its games strategy had crystallized to focus on a few key genres, including kids games, narrative games based on its own IPs and party games.
From KidscreenDaily
Meta introduces retail ad updates
Meta is leaning into AI with the recent release of updates to its AI-driven retail ad platforms, created to help businesses connect with customers and drive in-store traffic.
The expansion of Omnichannel Ads has added the ability to direct customers to the nearest store that has products in stock and highlights discounts to drive them into a store. Meta says it began testing this feature last fall and says that the advertisers using omnichannel ads had a 15% lower media omnichannel CPA and a 12% higher media ROAS when compared to their usual campaigns. This feature will be available globally this summer.
Additionally, Meta says AI-powered Advantage+ sales campaigns now allow advertisers to enhance shopping experiences with Generative AI features such as virtual try-ons and personalized ads. Meta’s catalog ads are being augmented with Generative AI for Retail to enable background generation and personalized text creation. Another feature, optimization of catalog, ads allows the Meta ads system to show additional products from a catalog when promoting a preferred product selected by brands using Advantage+ catalog ads or Shops ads, according to Meta.
This spring Meta plans to launch AI-Optimized Shops Ads, a simplified checkout experience meant to improve online conversions. Also coming this spring, ads in Facebook notifications will be available to help advertisers to re-engage potential customers.
With files from Patti Summerfield and Jonathan Russell
