Snapchat Is Sending All U.S. Adult Users a ‘Wicked’ Sponsored Snap to Their Chat Inboxes
by Todd Spangler · VarietyA “Wicked” promo is alighting in millions of Snapchatters’ chat inboxes.
On Tuesday, Snapchat and Universal Pictures will debut the first-ever Sponsored Snap, an ad for “Wicked,” the adaptation of the smash Broadway musical starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. The film opens in theaters on Friday, Nov. 22.
In the 10-second “Wicked” Sponsored Snap, Jonathan Bailey — the English actor who plays Fiyero in the movie — says, “I can’t wait for you to see ‘Wicked.’ It’s only in theaters this Friday. Get your tickets — now!” The Snap includes a call-to-action element below the video, linking to wickedmovie.com. (Watch the Snap below.)
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The “Wicked” Sponsored Snap will appear in the chat inbox for all U.S. Snapchat users 18 and older, who can choose whether or not to tap on it to see the full ad. Sponsored Snaps are “visually distinct” from other Snaps in users’ inbox and are not delivered with a push notification, the company says; if the Sponsored Snaps are left unviewed, they will be removed from users’ inboxes.
Snap touts the Sponsored Snaps as giving marketers a tool to hit a broad audience: As of the end of September, Snapchat had 101 million daily active users in North America. According to Snap, in the U.S. more than 50% of Snapchatters are 25 and older.
Sponsored Snaps is “a natural extension of the way people already engage with businesses on Snapchat,” according to the media and messaging company.
The company cited data points including a Kantar study finding that 92% of weekly Snapchat users are theatergoers and nearly 75% watch movies with at least one other person. According to research firm NRG, Snapchatters are 1.7 times more likely to see a movie on premiere weekend compared with non-Snapchatters.
In addition, Snap recently commissioned a study by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, looking at the role of online communications platforms in interpersonal relationships among teens (13-17) and young adults (18-40) and how specific features of online platforms make people feel. According to the NORC study, respondents who use Snapchat reported higher satisfaction with the quality of friendships and relationships with family than non-Snapchat users. Overall, about two-thirds of young people say direct messaging with family and close friends makes them feel “extremely” or “very” happy, making DMs the only feature of online communications platforms that makes a majority of both teens and young adults happy.
Watch the “Wicked” Sponsored Snap: