Snap has developed a self-serve platform called Lens Studio, which will enable creators, and everyone who develops software – including seven partners Fishermen Labs, Haus, Avatar Labs, North Kingdom, Trigger Global, MediaMonks and VidMob – to create Augmented Reality ads.
Lens Studio is a website where designers can sign up through an account linked to Snapchat’s ad platform. According to Snap, Snapchat has achieved more than 3000 lenses over the past year, including sponsored graphics for Bud Light, Warner Bros and BMW. About 70 million people, approximately one-third of Snapchat daily active users, play with the lenses every day. Snapchat is confident that this year, one trillion photos will be taken. If we consider there’s 31,536,000 seconds in a year, it means 31,710 photos are taken every second.
In addition to the Lens Studio, Facebook is also developing its own AR platform, which means we are witnessing yet another rivalry between these companies, and increasing importance of augmented reality.
Up to now, all the AR campaigns were managed by sales and creative teams at Snapchat, and each campaign lasted for six to eight weeks on average. From now on, there will be seven other partners that specialize in areas such as 3D modeling, animation etc. with the same opportunity. These companies will manage the creative side of Lenses, and Snapchat will manage the media lease.
