Snapchat unveils Sponsored Snaps video ads format

Snapchat has unveiled a new ad format, Sponsored Snaps in India, that enables the display of full-screen vertical video advertisements within user chat inboxes. The ads will appear as unopened messages in Snapchat’s chat interface, helping brands guide their target users to move across awareness, consideration, and conversion stages with a single placement. Advertisers can display content in chat lists, engage viewers who open the snaps, and incorporate CTA (call to action) within their brand messages.

Snapchat first introduced the chat inbox video ads in the USA for Universal Pictures’ Wicked Part 1 promotions and in Canada for Disney’s Moana 2 campaigns. The company informs that AJIO, the online fashion retailer in India, has become its first brand client in India to have used the feature. AJIO recently unveiled its ad campaign through Snapchat’s Sponsored Snaps to promote its latest fashion collections.

Arpan Biswas, chief marketing officer, AJIO, said, “Sponsored Snaps present an opportunity to connect with digital-first consumers in an organic and interactive manner. We are excited to leverage its potential to elevate our storytelling and foster deeper, more meaningful connections with Snapchat’s community.”

The company is positioning the new feature as aligning with user behaviour, where visual messaging dominates peer interactions. The launch expands advertising options on a platform that is traditionally focused on ephemeral content, following increased brand demand for youth-oriented digital channels.

Snapchat is planning to include various AI-powered enhancements in Sponsored Snaps to enable personalised recommendations, customer support, and transactions directly within the feature. Snapchat’s total global monthly active users are over 85 crores, with India being one of its large markets. The company’s monthly active users in India stand at about 20 crores.

Neha Jolly Sawhney, head of ad monetisation, India, Snap Inc, said, “Sponsored Snap taps into Gen Z’s preference for visually rich, engaging content. This format provides brands like AJIO an opportunity to connect with our community authentically. Our Chat inbox is the way to reach Snapchatters, and Sponsored Snaps are an extension of how people already engage with brands and businesses on our platform. It expands their reach and delivers an immersive, interactive experience that resonates with a mobile-first, visual audience.”