Snapchat Outlines New Initiatives to Celebrate Black History Month

Snapchat has outlined its plans to celebrate Black History Month, together with themed Highlight challenges, new AR filters, and a brand new partnership to make sure optimum illustration throughout its varied options.

First off, on Highlight – Snapchat’s launching a brand new set of Black History Month Highlight Challenges, which is able to see over $40,000 awarded to creators for participating in particular initiatives aligned with the occasion.

Snapchat’s Black History Month challenges shall be up to date weekly all through February, and can contact on a spread of key themes:

• February 1 – 7 – Share what #BlackExcellence means to you
• February 8 – 14 – Present us what a day within the life at your HBCU seems to be like with #LifeAtMyHBCU!
• February 15- 21 – Use a location tag in your favourite native #BlackOwnedBusiness and inform us why you help them!
• February 18-24 – Educate Highlight on probably the most attention-grabbing #BlackHistoryMonthInfo.

Highlight, Snap’s tackle the full-screen, vertical scrolling video shift, has grow to be a well-liked addition within the app, with the corporate reporting this week that whole time spent watching Highlight content material has grown more than 100% year-over-year. So whereas it’s primarily a TikTok clone, the recognition of the choice as soon as once more underlines why apps replicate and replica such options. As a result of it really works, and it retains extra of their customers from migrating to different apps.

As such, it is also a great way for Snap to advertise its Black History Month initiatives.

Snapchat’s additionally launching a spread of themed Lenses, created by Black artists:

“Today, Snapchatters can express themselves with a collection of augmented reality Lenses created by Black AR creators like Enoch, Masharzi McCann, Kathryn Hicks and more. On February 15, Snapchatters will be able to explore a new collection of Black History Month Lenses created by a group of seven Black AR creators.”

The themed Lenses will concentrate on three parts:

• Uncommon and untold tales – Sharing ignored information concerning the Black expertise and historical past.
• Revisiting historical past and the promise of tomorrow – Recognizing how far we’ve come by spotlighting important accomplishments and beliefs for the long run.
• Diaspora – Discussing Black historical past because it applies to the diaspora, celebrating our variations and coming collectively in shared lineage.

That would assist to spotlight key messages through partaking AR experiences inside the app.

Lastly, Snapchat’s additionally teaming up with the Magnificence in Inclusivity Affiliation (BIIA), to make sure that there’s an optimum mixture of illustration and variety throughout the app.

“BIIA is a new brand auditing and certification system that will work with corporations as a training resource to develop actionable goals and standards for business leaders to better prioritize diversity and representation across all areas of the beauty business. Snapchat will host a dedicated profile for BIIA-curated content to amplify BIPOC and allied creator voices as they share their unique stories.”

Black History Month is a crucial time to acknowledge and replicate on the previous and present injustices inside societal constructions, and to contemplate how we are able to all contribute to enhancing such transferring ahead.

Snapchat’s trying to contribute to this broader dialog, and these themed ideas could possibly be a great way to spotlight such inside the app.