One golden marketing rule is to market your product/services where your customers are. If your target audience is the younger generation, think persons not older than 34, chances are that one social media platform your brand needs to be on is Snapchat.
Known for its funny filters and disappearing snaps amidst other great functions, Snapchat is a platform popular amongst gen z’s and millennials.
A 2022 research by Statista, a 13 years leader in giving reliable market data, shows that 39% (over 132 million) of Snapchat’s users are those between the ages of 18 – 24, and each user spends about 30 minutes daily on the app.
Recognizing its marketing potential, the platform offers brands interested in using Snapchat to attract and draw in their target market marketing tools, one of which is the Snapchat ads through which brands can promote their products/services to prospects at a price.
Using this tool, known brands like Dominos, NetFlix, Grubhub, etc., have run successful Snapchat marketing campaigns, attracting thousands of prospects turned customers simply because these brands knew their market and what type of Snapchat content engages them.
Suppose you are new to the platform and are considering running a Snapchat marketing campaign, or you have run a Snapchat ad that was not as successful as you hoped. In that case, you might need a dash of inspiration to get your creative juices flowing to craft the right promotion strategy.
In light of this, I will be giving you twelve examples of successful Snapchat marketing campaigns run by businesses, both big and small, that you can learn from.
12 examples of Snapchat Marketing Campaigns
1. Warner Bros. Shazam!
Before the official release of the Warner Bros. blockbuster movie – Shazam! in 2019, the movie production company partnered with Snapchat to create its first voice-activated Augmented Reality (AR) lens to promote the film.
Users of the app just had to scan the Snapcode, say “Ok, Shazam!”, and a flash of lightning and smoke will appear over them, revealing them in a Shazam hero-costume – how cool is that!
It is necessary to note that before this time, Snapchat had also already announced that it would release a voice-activated lens for its users.
By partnering up with Warner Bros., Snapchat launched its first voice-activated AR filter lens, garnering more Snapchat users and promoting the movie.
2. Domino’s
When the famous pizza restaurant was about to launch its “bigger and better pizza” campaign, the restaurant made use of Snapchat’s ads and filters to get across its message in a hilarious but compelling format.
In its Snapchat marketing campaign, Domino’s played on several scenarios in which the pizza has grown to the point where it is practically impossible to carry.
One of such hilarious ads shows a man struggling to lift 2 boxes of Domino’s pizza into his car passenger seat.
He is later seen driving off on two wheels because the pizza’s size has imbalanced the car.
In addition to these creative ads, there was a Domino’s filter Snapchat users could add to their snaps.
This filter emphasized the brand’s message, and by sharing these snaps with their network, Snapchatters helped spread the word.
3. X-men apocalypse
Ahead of the release of this movie, Twentieth Century Fox launched a Snapchat marketing campaign that involved taking over all of Snapchat’s filters for 24 hours, replacing them with the nine X-Men characters; Storm, Cyclops, Beast, Nightcrawler, Professor X, Magneto, Apocalypse, Quicksilver, and Mystique.
During this time of total lens takeover, Snapchat users had the opportunity of realizing their childhood aspirations of becoming superheroes or supervillains.
Additionally, by swiping up on the ad, Snapchat users could purchase tickets to the movie – talk about easy and convenient.
4. Subway
Famous for its submarine sandwiches, Subway launched a Snapchat marketing campaign to promote a new sandwich to its young market.
To assist users in relating to the emotional excitement about the new menu item, Subway took a creative approach and included animated emojis after close-up shots of the sandwich.
5. Coca-cola
Known for its creative and engaging marketing tactics, it would have been a wonder had Coca-cola not made this list.
As a means of promoting their beverage and connecting with their market, the Coca-cola brand utilized Snapchat advertising to create a national filter during the 2018 World Cup.
The filter had a simple design with animated footballs that popped like Coca-Cola bubbles as part of its creative design.
6. Cedar point amusement park – Halloween campaign
During one of the Halloween seasons, Cedar Point, to get teens to promote its Halloween event and encourage friends to visit Cedar Point, the park decided to run a Snapchat marketing campaign to interact with and connect with their teen demographic.
In this light, the park developed a Snap story called “Cedar Point Catch-a-Ghost.”
Users were encouraged to watch the story and take a screenshot of a ghost that would suddenly appear in the story for less than a second before vanishing – prizes were promised to the first five that were able to capture the ghost.
Because the ghost was so elusive, viewers were forced to watch the story repeatedly, thus boosting the ad engagement.
7. Netflix – Gilmore Girls
In 2016, Netflix partnered with Snapchat to promote the revival of the comedy film Gilmore Girls, which ended in 2007.
To create a buzz around the movie’s release, Netflix distributed about 10,000 coffee cups to various coffee shops and cafes in different parts of the United States.
These cups were branded with the name “Luke’s” – a coffee shop in the movie, and with a snap code, which, when scanned, directed Snapchatters to customize Luke’s shop filters.
Fans of the movie that showed up early at any of the select locations were given the customized cups.
As you can be sure, most took pictures with the cup and shared them online, spreading the word about the movie and making it possible for fans near and far to access the exclusive Snapchat filter.
8. Grubhub
In 2014, Grubhub, a famous food delivery service, used Snapchat to promote an ad for an individual with “Snapchat Skillz” interested in working in Grubhub.
Using a series of images where the instructions on how to apply were written in bright colors, the delivery service created an engaging and successful Snapchat marketing campaign that enabled it to close the job application in two weeks.
9. Game of Thrones (GOT)
To build anticipation and excitement for the last season of the GOT series, HOB collaborated with Snapchat to bring to life some of the most dramatic aspects of the movie through augmented reality (AR) filters.
Additionally, as they crossed the runway during the movie premiere, the cast took snap selfies using a lens that displayed a smoking baby dragon perched on their shoulders.
10. Gatorade Dunk
During the 50th edition of the Super Bowl, Gatorade, a brand for athletes food and drink, created a Snapchat filter for Super Bowl fans.
The filter allowed Snapchat users to simulate being dunked with its Gatorade drink.
This lens drew lots of attention and was viewed about 170 million times during the Super Bowl period.
11. Adidas
Employing a unique Snapchat marketing campaign, Adidas, the famous sportswear brand, collaborated with Snapchat to launch an 8-bit game called Baseball’s Next Level, where Snapchat users can purchase its 8-bit-themed baseball cleats.
Created in collaboration with the developer – AvatarLabs, the game allows Snapchatters to play as several of Adidas’ Major League Baseball players, including Kiké Hernandez, Justin Turner, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman, and Aaron Judge. They all have unique Adizero or Icon V cleats in the Adidas 8-bit collection that can be obtained directly from the game.
12. Air Jordan III Tinker Sneakers campaign
To promote the sale of these sneakers, Nike teamed up with Snapchat to create an AR lens featuring a life-sized Micheal Jordan wearing the new sneakers.
In addition, the sportswear giant, via a Snapcode distributed only to attendees of the NBA after party, carried out an exclusive sale of the sneakers before its official release date.
Reasons these Snapchat Marketing campaigns were successful
1. The brands understood their audience
As I always say, knowing your market is pivotal to any marketing strategy or tactic you plan on implementing.
A good look at these brands listed above and the Snapchat marketing campaigns they ran will reveal that these companies understood their target market; who they are, their lifestyle, what they expect from a brand, etc.
Hence, it was easy for these businesses to create fun and playful ads that resonated with Snapchat’s audience, mostly young people.
2. The ads allowed prospects to interact with the brand
Another reason these Snapchat marketing campaigns were successful is because they allowed Snapchatters to interact with the brand and connect with the movie.
For instance, the Gatorade dunk filter allowed fans of the Super Bowl to celebrate with their favorite team when they won.
It also gave them a sense of being connected to the game even if they were watching from their homes and made them feel like a part of the team and not merely onlookers.
3. The ads gave value first
Still using the Netflix example, rather than demanding from its market first, Netflix gave them free cups and customized Snapchat filters.
By offering value first, many fans became free advocates of the brand and the show, telling others through pictures and word-of-mouth about the customized cups, exclusive filter, and the comeback of the Gilmore Girls show, thus creating a buzz around the release of the show and achieving Netflix’s goal.
4. The ads were exciting and fun
There is just something exciting about saying “Ok, Shazam!” and lightning strikes revealing you in a Shazam hero outfit or using a filter that turns your face into your favorite superhero or supervillain, or using a filter that simulates being dunked when your favorite team wins.
To a 40-year-old, this type of ad may sound “meh!” but it is the opposite for an 18-year-old or even a 24-year-old that is crazy about X-men, superheroes, or the Super Bowl.
5. The ads were addressed to the right platform
When looking for a social-media-savvy person with Snapchat skills, Grubhub did not just turn to “hanging” the job post on their website or put up the job post on career platforms.
No, they went straight to where their target would most likely be – I mean, you cannot claim to have “Snapchat Skillz” if you are not on Snapchat.
READ ALSO: 15 Pinterest Marketing Tips: The Do’s and Don’t, What worked and what didn’t
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