Snap’s new ad format asks brands to pay for creators’ education

Platforms roll out new ad formats pretty consistently, and in most cases, they’re nothing groundbreaking. Pre-rolls, mid-rolls, in-feed ads, takeovers, pause ads…We’ve seen it all before. So when Snap announced it was launching a new ad product, we expected nothing special.

Instead, we found something unique: Snapchat is now allowing brands to sponsor Snap Schools, its series of IRL creator education/biz dev events.

Snap launched the workshop program in 2022, and to date has hosted over 50 installments in the U.S., Mexico, Europe, MENA, and India. Topics include the nuts and bolts of content creation, engagement strategies and audience-building, and monetization. Before this year, the workshops were put on solely by Snap. But this past February, it partnered with cosmetics brand Clinique as Snap Schools’ first sponsor.

“In February, over 75 creators participated in a Clinique-branded game show where they learned about Clinique’s dermatologist-guided approach to skincare, in addition to activities like candle making and (of course) networking,” Snap said in a company blog post. “Clinique was organically integrated throughout the event, including through augmented reality (AR) Clinique Lenses in our Snapchat AR mirrors, the Clinique gameshow, and logo placement throughout the venue.”

The partnership also paid off for attending creators: After Clinique’s Snap School, it went on to sign brand deals with Snapchatters Joseph Arujo, Zaina, The Odditty, Shannon Baker, and Ydelays.

Snap is opening another 22 sponsorship slots over the rest of 2025, and calls them a “premium offering” that “offers advertisers a unique opportunity to engage directly with aspiring and established Snap Stars, helping build brand visibility and foster meaningful relationships and partnerships with creators.”

We’re guessing, based on “premium,” that these sponsorships are pricey–but so far, they seem like an effective way for a brand to ingratiate itself with Snap’s trove of creators. And based on the number of deals Clinique signed after its Snap School installment, this program could end up providing more for creators than just a day in the classroom.