Snap is launching tests for two new advertising formats on its platform, expanding businesses’ options for reaching Snapchat’s user base. 

The company is introducing Sponsored Snaps in collaboration with Disney and Promoted Places with McDonald’s and Taco Bell.

Sponsored Snaps deliver full-screen vertical video ads directly to users’ inboxes. These ads are visually distinct from regular messages and do not trigger push notifications. Users can view the content, reply directly to advertisers, or follow a call-to-action link. Unviewed Sponsored Snaps are automatically removed from inboxes.

Promoted Places highlight sponsored locations on Snap Map, aiming to drive user engagement with businesses. Snap reports that marking Places as “Top Picks” typically increases visitation by 17.6% among frequent Snapchat users compared to unmarked locations.

“These new placements are a natural extension of the way people already engage with businesses on Snapchat and help advertisers expand their reach with the Snapchat community across two of the most widely and frequently used parts of our service,” Snap stated in a news release.

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel previously announced plans for these new ad placements, highlighting the company’s focus on attracting advertisers interested in lower-funnel goals. 

The move aligns with Snap’s efforts to accelerate growth in its advertising business, which Spiegel acknowledged had been slower than competitors.

Snap plans to develop these features further, exploring integrations with customer relationship management systems and AI chatbot support to enhance business-customer interactions.

These new ad formats are part of Snap’s redesigned ad business strategy, which aims to attract more small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to the platform. The company reports early success in this area, citing a doubling in total active advertisers year-over-year in Q2.