Snapchat’s Latest Ad Product Lets Marketers Purchase The ‘First Commercial’ Viewers See

Snapchat has launched several shiny new ad products on the heels of reporting encouraging revenues and user growth last quarter — thanks, in no small part, due to coronavirus quarantining.

First up is First Commercial, which — aptly — enables advertisers to purchase the first commercial that users see when they tune into Snapchat’s original programming, Social Media Today reports. This is an increasingly valuable spot, given that Snapchat most recently reported total daily time spent in its ‘Discover‘ section — which houses original content — has increased 35% year-over-year. Recent hits include Nikita Dragun’s Nikita Unfiltered and Will Smith’s Will From Home, which have garnered 20 and 15 million views, respectively, within a matter of weeks.

Search Engine Today notes that the First Commercial spot is a premium spot targeting high-end brands.

Additionally, Snapchat is expanding its Snap Select option — which enables marketers to curate distribution of premium, non-skippable ad placements in accordance with different programming verticals. While two categories existed in the initial iteration, Snap Select will now comprise five bundles that marketers can choose from: sports, entertainment, beauty, lifestyle, and news. (This product is only available to advertisers in the U.S. for now).

The final ad tool that Snapchat has introduced is a Vertical Video Conversion tool, which lets marketers easily convert horizontal assets into vertical orientation — the de facto format on Snapchat.