Snapchat is the place to be for brands to reach American youth, particularly teenagers and millennials. With only 10 seconds to tell a compelling story, the disappearing photo and video app favors candid, unpolished and authentic posts. Fashion and beauty brands, in particular, are having a bit of fun when it comes to engaging fans through Snapchat from scavenger hunts to behind the scenes and, of course, sponsored lenses to make those Snaps shine.
UGG
Fall is #UGGseason for fans of the luxury comfort brand, and to celebrate, UGG launched a custom, fall-themed 24-hour Snapchat lens in North America on September 22 featuring leaves, earmuffs and mini UGG boots that appeared once a user opened their mouth. The frame was accompanied with the line “Finally UGG season.”
“Snapchat is a focus for us because it’s a part of our fans’ everyday lives,” Jim Davis, vice president of consumer engagement for Deckers Outdoor Corporation, (parent company of UGG) told [a]listdaily. “If you look at Instagram as a visual lens into a person’s own brand, Twitter becomes their microphone—Snapchat occupies a unique space where the unpolished and goofy can be celebrated. Everyone wants authentic content—Snapchat is still one of the few platforms that offers that reality. Snapchat also offers the opportunity to reach GenZ and younger millennials in very authentic ways to help build brand heat with the next generation.”
Bloomingdale’s
The luxury department store chain implemented a scavenger hunt Labor Day Weekend on Snapchat to celebrate the fall launch of its “100 percent” campaign. Inspired by mobile users playing Pokémon GO in their stores, Bloomingdale created custom geofilters for consumers to collect. When those filters were “Snapped” back at the company, that customer was entered to win a wide range of prizes such as concert tickets to Maddie & Tae, a meet and greet with Rebecca Minkoff during her fashion show, gift cards to Bloomingdale’s and a variety of fall products.
“Hiding hundreds of Snapchat filters at local stores around the country felt like a fresh take on a scavenger hunt or sweepstakes,” said Jonathan Paul, operating vice president of social media at Bloomingdale’s. “One of our insights came from Pokémon GO and that mobile user behavior. We thought that if we could gamify Snapchat geofilters we could connect with shoppers in a playful and creative way.”
Maybelline New York
The drugstore beauty brand offers tutorials, announcements and behind-the-scenes looks for make-up-loving Snappers each week. “Maybelline Girls” periodically takes over the account as well, acting as influencers to create must-have looks and product demonstrations. For National Lipstick Day, the brand sponsored a Snapchat lens featuring its new Loaded Bolds lipstick collection—allowing users to virtually test out each of the bold colors for themselves.
L’Oreal Paris
Beauty brand L’Oreal took Snapchat Spectacles to the Golden Globes Awards, allowing fans to witness the red carpet first-hand. Worn by make-up artist Sir John and two brand ambassadors, L’Oreal’s Snapchat followers were treated to behind the scenes clips like putting make-up onto celebrities’ faces. In the past, L’Oreal has sponsored lenses to virtually apply make-up on users’ selfies, as well.
“At L’Oréal Paris, we are always looking for new and innovative ways to engage our consumers,” said Kristen Comings, vice president of integrated consumer communications. “Snapchat serves as a proven tool to engage audiences.”
Gucci
Suicide Squad star Jared Leto took over the official Gucci Snapchat account in August for 24 hours, snapping candid photos together with scrawled messages and lenses. The takeover was to promote Gucci’s new fragrance, Guilty, with Leto as the new face replacing actors Chris Evans and Evan Rachel Wood. Choosing Leto as a spokesperson for the brand was an obvious one for his model looks, but also his millions of social media followers.
Asos
For Asos, Snapchat is “increasingly important” to its business. An early adopter of the app, Asos joined in mid-2013, snapping outfit ideas, office tours, discount codes and behind-the-scenes clips from events ranging from photo shoots to fashion shows. Snapchat’s roundup of Fashion Week Stories was viewed more than 20 million times in Europe, the company told investors last spring.
