Snapchat is trying another way to bring its AR-powered ads to people. The platform launched an activation in New York City’s Times Square on June 18 that lets passersby interact with AR ads on large-format video screens.
Snapchat’s Crowd Created AR activation provides an IRL booth experience that puts people directly in the scene of a digital ad.
The platform partnered with HBO Max on this initial activation, creating an AR promotion for the upcoming season of “House of the Dragon.” It enables people to insert themselves into a fictional battle inspired by the show.
As explained by Snap: “This new IRL advertising format is the first Snapchat AR experience to project visitors live onto Times Square billboards in New York City and features first-ever four-sided AR Mirror.”
The activation will help to promote both Snapchat and its ad partners, and could drive more users towards the app.
It’s not the first time Snapchat has used IRL activations to boost hype.
The Snapchat camera has become a regular part of many sporting events, with fans displayed on in-stadium Jumbotrons with a Snap filter activated.
Snapchat has also experimented with in-store AR activations for selected brands, as reported by Retail Brew, and hosted interactive AR art projects at various museums and events.
This is the first time, however, that Snapchat has placed a large-scale AR activation in such a high-profile, high-traffic location. The move could create a more lucrative sponsored ad offering for the company, depending on interest.
Snapchat is working to develop its ad opportunities in order to boost ad opportunities and showcase the value of its digital tools and interactive AR experiences. Snapchat posted a lower-than-expected revenue result in Q1 2026 and the app is also seeing declining usage in key markets. As such, it needs to build on its opportunities to drive more intake and offset its rising development costs.
Like all the major platforms, Snapchat is investing in artificial intelligence and spending big on development and marketing for its new AR glasses.
As such, the platform is trying out more ad options and tools as it looks for additional ways to bring in cash.
Though, inadvertently, this example probably shows the best way forward for Snapchat, as a provider for third-party AR tools and activations outside of the app itself.
If Snapchat’s usage is in decline, and it has injected ads into every element it can without overwhelming its audience, then maybe the company needs to explore more opportunities, such as facilitating next-level AR experiences for providers like Apple’s VisionPro and Meta’s coming AR device.
AR does look set to become a more mainstream consideration in future, but whether Snapchat has the capacity to facilitate its own AR device and platform remains to be seen.
But experiences like this, powered by Snapchat outside of the app, could be another consideration for the business.
