Snapchat Highlights Its New and Returning Snap Originals

Snapchat provided an update on its Snap Originals programming at Advertising Week New York, sharing details on new shows and returning series. The company said Snap Originals are made exclusively for the messaging application and the unique behaviors of consuming content via mobile devices, which is done in short bursts with people’s thumbs hovering over their screens. Snap Originals are typically no more than five minutes long, full-screen, vertical and immersive, with hyper-visual components including graphics, split screens and quick cuts. [kickout id="1"] Snapchat shared several statistics to back its push into original video content: eMarketer found that mobile will surpass television this year as the medium attracting the most time from adults in the U.S. According to Statista, in August 2018, mobile phones became the dominant device for consuming online video, topping computers and other internet-connected devices. eMarketer found that 80% of adults use mobile phones to watch short videos, “substantially” ahead of computers and TVs. According to National Research Group’s State of the Small Screen 2018 report, Generation Z and millennials spend almost five hours per day on their phones, with 37% of that time dedicated to watching videos, and 47% of all time spent watching mobile video was dedicated to short-form content. And an NRG study sponsored by Snap Inc. found that 65% of Gen Z and millennials respondents increased the amount of mobile video they watch over the past year, and 60% watch premium short-form content at least once per week. [kickout id="2"] Following are the details on the new Snap Originals: Tekashi69 VS The World: Snapchat said each season of VS The World will focus on the biggest names in hip-hop, sports and entertainment culture, with exclusive footage and commentary and an original perspective. Tekashi60 VS The World will tell the story of controversial rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine from growing up in Brooklyn through his career and collaborations and his issues with the FBI and eventual incarceration. The Honeybeez: The docuseries will follow Alabama State University’s plus-size dance squad, who “let the haters be their motivators.” Driven: The docuseries will follow the young entrepreneurs at PTG36 as they deliver flashy custom cars to high-roller clients “using nothing but their phones and a whole lot of hustle.” Players: The scripted drama features Stella Hudgens, Dallas Liu, Brighton Sharbino and Micah Tarver, and it tells the (fictional) story of Nash Brooks, son of National Basketball Association player Oscar Brooks, as he relocates from Indiana to Los Angeles after his dad is traded and struggles with the transition. Save Me: The scripted thriller follows a home-schooled teen trying to find and save his online classmate and crush who goes missing. It features Matt Sato, Daniela Nieves, Madeleine Byrne, Darius Marcell, Madeline Zima and William Mapother. [kickout id="3"] Snapchat also highlighted two new Snap Originals that focus on the emotional and social well-being of its audience: Mind Yourself: Each episode of this unscripted show will feature one young person suffering or recovering from mental health issues. Everything’s Fine (working title): The scripted comedy follows college junior Gemma as she tries to make it big in the music industry while coping with a bipolar diagnosis. It was created and written by Hannah Klein, with Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz, an advocate for mental health, as producer and music supervisor. The series is produced by Powderkeg. The company also discussed some of its returning Snap Originals: Bringing Up Bhabie: The docuseries follows 16-year-old rapper and viral sensation Bhad Bhabie for a second season as she navigates her career and relationships. Snapchat said more than 10 million unique viewers watch the show’s premiere episode in the first 24 hours after its debut. Two Sides: The second season of this scripted drama will follow Chloe and Jeremy as they struggle to navigate a cross-country, long distance relationship. Snapchat said almost 20% of viewers who completed the show’s first episode went on to complete all 10 episodes on the same day. Kappa Crypto: The second season of this scripted comedy follows a gifted and ambitious sorority girl using her cryptography skills to save her sorority. [kickout id="4"] Finally, Snapchat said that when the third season of The Dead Girls Detective Agency debuted in August, 80% of viewers who completed its second season went on to watch season three, and 55% who watched the first episode went on to complete the season. Season four of The Dead Girls Detective Agency will debut later this fall. [kickout id="5"]