Snapchat Rolls Out Sponsored AI Lenses to Help Brands Build Immersive AR Experiences

In its ongoing efforts to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) more deeply into its platform, Snapchat has unveiled a new advertising format called Sponsored AI Lenses. This new tool, announced on Tuesday, allows brands to design and deploy interactive AI-generated Lenses that users can access while using the app.

These AI Lenses serve as personalized selfie filters and immersive experiences, offering brands an innovative way to boost user engagement. Over the years, the Santa Monica-based tech company has been investing heavily in AR and recently began fusing these capabilities with generative AI technology to enhance user creativity and ad formats.

How Sponsored AI Lenses Work

“A new way to create immersive, generative AI advertising on Snapchat.”

According to a newsroom post from Snapchat, Sponsored AI Lenses let brands buy AR-powered ad placements that blend seamlessly into the existing Lens Carousel. These filters can be customized to reflect a brand’s campaign themes or product promotions and appear alongside regular user-facing filters.

The internal data cited by Snapchat suggests that this format can generate 25–45% more impressions in just one day, offering advertisers a compelling case for embracing this new format.

Brands Already Embracing AI-Powered Filters

Early adopters of the Sponsored AI Lenses include high-profile names like Tinder, Uber, and British pop-rock band Coldplay. Each leveraged the format in creative ways:

• Tinder released the “My 2025 Dating Vibe” AI Lens in late December 2024.

• Uber launched the “My Thanksgiving Vibe” AI Lens to engage users during the holiday season.

• Coldplay used a customized AI Lens to promote “Moon Music”, its tenth studio album.

Snapchat noted,

“Due to the immersive nature of the format, Snapchatters spent more time engaging with Sponsored AI Lenses compared to standard Lenses.”

While specific usage metrics remain undisclosed, the company claimed that both Uber and Tinder observed “higher than average” playtimes during the campaign period between November 2024 and January 2025.

Snapchat’s Growing AR Ecosystem

The move to Sponsored AI Lenses is part of a broader push to capitalize on Snapchat’s massive AR engagement. According to company data from Q2 last year, over 300 million users interact with AR features on the platform daily. That makes Snapchat one of the leading platforms for real-time, creative, and immersive advertising.

For users interested in trying out these branded filters, Sponsored AI Lenses are now available in the Lens Carousel, where they are easily accessible alongside other community-generated filters.

Conclusion

Snapchat's latest innovation, Sponsored AI Lenses, marks a major leap in digital advertising by combining generative AI with AR to offer brands a powerful engagement tool. As digital experiences shift toward interactivity and personalization, Snapchat is positioning itself at the forefront of immersive marketing. With major brands like Uber, Tinder, and Coldplay already onboard, the early signs point to promising engagement results, including higher playtimes and increased impressions.

By giving brands the ability to create personalized, AI-enhanced filters, Snapchat is not only enhancing the user experience but also offering marketers an effective way to break through the noise. As more brands explore this format, the boundaries between social interaction and advertising are set to blur further, transforming how we engage with digital content. With over 300 million users engaging with AR daily, Sponsored AI Lenses could soon become a staple in modern marketing campaigns.