Social media giant Snap has extended its long-term partnership with Channel 4, creating a new series with a built-in Augmented Reality (AR) component.

As part of the extended partnership, the pair will collaborate on new ‘Snap-first’ content, which includes providing select content from Channel 4’s Paris 2024 Paralympic Games coverage.

Short-form clips of Channel 4’s most popular programmes will continue to be made available via Snapchat, including First Dates, Married At First Sight UK, Hollyoaks, Celebs Go Dating, Made In Chelsea, SAS: Who Dares Wins, Tattoo Fixers, Mashed, Celebrity Cooking School, The Big Celebrity Detox, and Absolutely Dyer.

“Having collaborated with Channel 4 over the past five years, our renewed and expanded partnership is a key part of our strategy to bring diverse and relevant content from world-class media brands to our UK community,” Snap Head of UK Partnerships Lucy Lake said.

“With the exciting year ahead in sports, the opportunity to bring the Paralympics content to millions of Snapchatters is very exciting, building on our sports offering platform-wide.

“We’re excited to continue to deepen our relationship with Channel 4, working to deliver exciting new formats and continue to innovate together.”

The new partnership with Snap supports the delivery of Channel 4’s Future4 strategy to prioritise digital growth over linear ratings, diversify new revenue streams and focus on partnerships.

Channel 4 Senior Distribution and Partnerships Lead of Commercial Innovation, Joe Harbinson added: “This partnership furthers our bid to serve young audiences and typifies the approach we are taking to reach viewers, wherever they are.

“Not only will we continue to innovate in how we adapt formats of our existing programming on new platforms, but we will also innovate by creating bespoke content to maximise the benefits of every platform for viewers and advertisers.”

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Snapchatters and Bitmoji users will be able to choose from nine curated outfits, featuring references to SpongeBob SquarePants, Rugrats, Garfield, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which can all be customised further.

Users will see their chosen Nickelodeon designs across Snapchat and Bitmoji, including in chat and games, on Snap Map, in lenses, and in personalised content like Bitmoji Stories.

“This partnership combines two brands that embody positivity, humour and fun at the heart of everything they do, and we’re excited to launch a collection that caters to our Gen Z and millennial audiences who grew up with these nostalgic characters – and that are still very much loved to this day,” said John Imah, Head of Games & Entertainment Partnerships at Snap Inc.

The collaboration with Nickelodeon builds on similar partnerships Snapchat has entered into in the past half-year or so, including with Ralph Lauren and Levi’s.

In August, Snap launched its ‘Mix and Match’ Bitmoji feature alongside Ralph Lauren. And it followed this up in December by bringing denim to Bitmoji via Levi’s. In both instances, physical versions of the looks available in-app were made available through the brands’ websites and select retail stores.

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The body-tracking AR lens, created in partnership with OmniGov at Manning Gottlieb OMD, enables Snapchatters to locate and educate themselves on key organs within the body, while encouraging them to discuss organ donation with their loved ones.

The AR lens, the first of its kind, is aimed particularly at audiences aged 16 to 20 and features infographics to engage these users.

“Working with Snapchat to utilise this new body scanning technology, is a really exciting opportunity for us. We are constantly looking for new ways to raise awareness and get people talking about organ donation,” said Holly Mason, Deputy Head of Organ Donation Marketing at NHS Blood and Transplant.

“By educating younger generations on the importance of organ donation, we know they can lead the way for the future. Our research tells us that young people have the ability to become real changemakers, challenging and inspiring change within their wider family. We hope that the lens encourages and motivates people to have a discussion with their loved ones about organ donation and together we can save more lives.”

Snapchatters can access the experience via either the associated Snapcode or by clicking on the campaign icon in the lens carousel. Once activated, the user will be told to flip the camera and point the phone at a loved one to access the body scanning technology and begin the experience. Snapchat will then identify organs that can be donated – including heart, lungs, eyes, kidneys, liver, pancreas, and small intestine – and the user can select specific organs to learn more or swipe-up to be taken to the organ donation website.

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Snapchat will begin rolling out the ‘Friend Check Up’ feature, which will notify users that they may wish to clean up their friends list and remove any unwanted people from it. The feature will start rolling out on Android devices over the next few weeks and arrive on iOS devices in the next few months.

In addition, as part of Safer Internet Day, the app has partnered with Connect Safely in the US and ChildNet in the UK on filters that will swipe up to additional safety resources and co-authored a guide to help users understand how to report issues.

Snapchat is also further integrating resources from Crisis Text Line and making it easier for Snapchatters to get in touch with a counsellor. And it has expanded that work to the UK by partnering with Shout 85258, the UK’s only free, confidential 24/7 messaging support service.

Finally, there are Snapchat’s partnerships with The Trevor Project, to better support LGBTQ youth mental health by amplifying resources and integrating access to the organisation’s safe space social networking site, TrevorSpace; and Mind Up|The Goldie Hawn Foundation, which will see a free online parent course be made available to both the Snap and MindUp communities.

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The ‘First Commercial’ solution guarantees UK advertisers the influential first six-second unskippable ad spot on Snapchat’s suite of shows. O2 and eBay were among the first brands to utilise the ad format as part of their respective Christmas and Black Friday campaigns.

“At Snapchat we are continually building out our suite of video tools to support our advertisers who want to meaningfully engage with Gen Z,” said Toccara Baker, International Product marketing at Snapchat. “We know from our Beta testing that the attention-grabbing power of First Commercial combined with Snapchat’s unduplicated reach in a brand safe, premium environment has a huge impact on brand awareness.”

Alongside First Commercial, Snapchat has introduced the next generation of its traditional takeover with the arrival of ‘Platform Burst’. This development enables brands to activate multiple Snapchat ad formats into a condensed time period. The app has tested solution with brands across tech, telecommunications, CPG, and entertainment.

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The ‘Positive Disruptor’ video series, hosted by Snap’s International Vice President Claire Valoti, features the likes of Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon, fashion designer Charli Cohen, the founder of underwear brand Heist Studios, the creator of make-up brand UOMA Beauty, and the founder of fitness brand Gymshark, Ben Francis, who appears in the first episode.

The aim of the series is to inspire marketers and learn from those who have found success by deviating from the norms.

The first episode featuring Francis has launched on Snapchat, LinkedIn, and YouTube. He tells the story of his journey from delivering pizza eight years ago to being in charge of a business now valued at over £1bn, and how Gymshark will continue to grow and transform.

Snapchat will launch episodes once a fortnight on its LinkedIn and YouTube channels, with shorter edits available to view on Discover within the Snapchat app.

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The feature, called ‘Sounds’, gives Snapchatters the ability to add music – either pre- or post-capture – to their Snaps from a range of emerging and established artists. For now, the feature is only available to iOS users around the world.

When a user receives a Snap that has made use of the Sounds feature, they can swipe up to view the album art, song title, and name of the artist. There’s also a ‘Play This Song’ link that lets the user listen to the full song through Spotify, Apple Music, or SoundCloud.

Sounds was launched with an exclusive track from Justin Bieber and Benny Blanco, titled ‘Lonely’, ahead of its general release earlier today.

Snapchat has also begun testing the ability for Snapchatters to create their own sounds for the feature and says it will roll this out globally ‘in the coming months’.

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The Snapchat Creative Council, which has been built alongside advertising diversity organisation Creative Equals, includes creative talent from across the UK advertising industry. Members include representatives from Isobar, Uncommon Creative Studio, Grey, We are Social, Design72, The Barber Shop, VMLY&R, VCCP Kin, Leo Burnett, W+K, McCann Manchester, and Wunderman Thompson, as well as those representing Snap and Creative Equals.

Over the next few weeks, selected creatives will assemble small teams to develop pitches, with a focus on mental health and civic duty amongst Gen Z and Millennials, using Snapchat’s ad formats. These campaigns will then be judged by the Council and the winning one will be professionally produced on Snapchat and supported with media. Participants will also be able to select a charity – from a shortlist of five – to donate $100,000 to.

“We believe that ideas that live on the small screen can have a big impact, and for Gen Z and millennials that screen is powered by Snapchat,” said Will Scougal, Global Director of Creative Strategy at Snap. “The SCC will serve as a powerful forum made up of a diverse and inclusive community from the advertising industry, and is a commitment from Snap to use our reach to drive positive change.”

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The discussions took place in recent weeks and the parties reached the point of talking a price in the “hundreds of millions of dollars”, reports The Information. Despite the talks progressing to that stage, both Facebook and Snap are no longer in conversation with Mobile Motion, Dubsmash’s developer.

Dubsmash, along with other TikTok competitors like Triller and Byte, has seen a surge in downloads in response to the possibility of TikTok being banned in the US. TikTok is currently facing the prospect of being blocked in the US after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that would prohibit any US individual or company from doing business with TikTok or its parent company, ByteDance. However, its highly unlikely TikTok will actually be banned in the US, particularly with discussions ongoing with companies including Microsoft and Twitter about purchase acquisition of its US business.

At the same time, Facebook and Snap have recently taken inspiration from TikTok with some of their latest features. Facebook launched Reels on Instagram, while Snap began testing a music overlay feature on Snapchat.

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The newly launched ‘Mix and Match’ Bitmoji feature will display 12 real Ralph Lauren looks for Snapchatters to dress their Bitmojis in. Users opting for a Ralph Lauren look will see the designs in digital experiences both on the Snapchat app and off it, including chat, games, on Snap Map, and in Bitmoji Stories.

“Ralph Lauren is excited to embark on this innovative partnership with Snap,” said Alice Delahunt, Ralph Lauren’s Chief Digital Officer. “With Ralph Lauren’s respected reputation as a global leader within the luxury fashion space and Snap’s undeniable creative prowess and expansive reach to a younger consumer, we feel inspired to explore disruptive ways to tell our brand’s story, drive social commerce and engage with a new generation in an authentic and empowering way.”

Designed as an extension of Ralph Lauren’s physical collection, the pieces include classic double-breasted blazers, a branded racer jacket, a striped rugby shirt, and a track jacket. All the looks will also be available to purchase in real life through the Ralph Lauren website and select Ralph Lauren retail stores.

Eventually, over the next six months, every Polo shirt within Bitmoji will be branded with Ralph Lauren’s signature polo player logo.

“This partnership is an expansive and holistic venture to bring the Ralph Lauren brand into the digital world,” said Selby Drummond, Snap’s Head of Fashion and Beauty. “Bitmoji is the world’s most personal avatar, and with a new virtual wardrobe experience, it’s possible to feel even more closely and authentically connected to your avatar when wearing the labels you love. We’re thrilled to see Ralph Lauren leading the way as brands embrace the world of digital fashion.”

Ralph Lauren and Snap have also linked up on a series of interactive street artwork to celebrate the brand’s famous Polo shirt. These ‘Polo Public Art’ project murals from local graffiti artists in New York, Chicago, and Dallas are enabled with augmented reality animation via Snap Codes to bring the art to life.

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