Snapchat Launches Sponsored AI Lenses for Brands

Snapchat is turning up the dial on immersive advertising. The platform just rolled out Sponsored AI Lenses, a new ad format that leverages Snap’s in-house generative AI technology to create rich, interactive branded experiences — and it’s all triggered by a simple selfie.

While Snapchat has long offered sponsored AR lenses, this upgrade introduces AI-powered transformations that analyze a user’s face and generate customized, visually rich scenes in real time. According to Snap, each AI Lens can serve up to 10 different experiences in one, offering brands a dynamic and playful way to capture attention.

Here’s How It Works:

• A user takes a selfie with the AI Lens.

• Snap’s generative AI analyzes their facial features.

• The system then uses a preset prompt and pose to insert them into a series of AI-generated environments — think fantasy landscapes, branded worlds, futuristic scenarios, and more.

It’s a far cry from static banner ads or even traditional AR filters. This format aims to offer a deeper sense of presence and personalization, designed to keep users engaged while boosting brand recognition.

Why It Matters for Brands:

With ad fatigue rising and Gen Z craving novelty, Snapchat’s Sponsored AI Lenses could be a powerful antidote. The format offers:

• Deeper engagement through interactive storytelling.

• Scalability, as the generative AI can output multiple experiences from one lens.

• Sharability, since users are likely to save and repost their transformed selfies.

Snap’s AI Play

This move further cements Snapchat’s position in the AI space, showing that it’s not just a messaging app or social platform, but also a tech innovator in immersive advertising. By blending generative AI with real-time selfie input, Snap is creating an ad product that feels more like a game or story than a sales pitch.

Bottom line: With Sponsored AI Lenses, Snapchat is giving brands a new way to show up in users’ lives — not just as a logo or product, but as an experience.