Snap Debuts Its Lens on the Year Report

Snap Inc. released its first ever Lens on the Year report, recognizing 50 lenses across five categories chosen via a combination of company favorites and global data. Augmented reality lenses are played an average of more than 6 billion times per day on Snapchat. Snap head of AR platform partnerships Sophia Dominguez said in a statement, “We're amazed by the creativity and technical prowess of our community that has supercharged Snapchatters' appetite for AR. This year, we've continued to see Lens Creators, as well as our team here at Snap, build lenses that not only help Snapchatters better express themselves, but help them learn about the world around them and solve problems in their daily lives.” The future of shopping is here: Because AR is the new dressing room Snap wrote, “AR is the future of shopping—it can help visualize not just how a pair of sunglasses looks, but how it looks on you. Going beyond today’s online 2D shopping experience, AR makes trying on clothes completely custom. From Prada to MAC Cosmetics, there are so many ways to express your style and get your hands on the most covetable items of the year. Snap’s favorites were: Prada: Using gesture recognition capabilities, shoppers use their hands to swipe through different purses, and they can check out when ready to buy.Farfetch Off-White: Using new voice-enabled controls, check out a range of jackets from Off-White by just saying what color you like best.Zenni: TrueSize Technology is changing the eyewear game, so shoppers can try AR eyewear and accessories that look just like the physical items. Farfetch try-on Other global favorites: Powder Kiss Lip by MAC CosmeticsPiaget Polo by PiagetC-BEAR DRESS by Popul ARDior ‘B27 Sneakers’ by DiorEssie Expressie by EssieVenus in Furs by Barbara BarlianiSneaker 0 by London Design Museum What’s Poppin’: You couldn’t have missed it The company wrote, “With over 500 million monthly active users, lenses offer a unique window into the year’s cultural moments and trends. This viral list—featuring everyone’s favorite, Little Bernie, all the way to Squid Game—is a glimpse into the memes, content and characters that took the world by storm in 2021.” Snap’s favorites were: Little Bernie: Bernie Sanders became an instant sensation when he was caught sitting cross-armed in knit mittens at the Inauguration. Amélie Tremblay brought Little Bernie to the people, letting you place him anywhere you want using AR. More than 9 million Snapchatters engaged with the lens.Squid Game: The obsession with Netflix’s Squid Game was impossible to miss. Squid Game-inspired lenses, like Ian Runge’s, were trending, generating over 49 million impressions across Snapchat and Spotlight.3D Cartoon: From celebrities to pets, the world simply couldn’t—and wouldn’t—stop turning themselves into a cartoon character. The lens has been viewed over 7 billion times. Little Bernie Other global favorites: Smile by Snap (over 1.2 billion impressions)Photo Crop by Denis Rossiev (more than 24.5 million impressions)Remove Beard by Snap (Snapchatters engaged with the Lens over 380 million times)House of Gucci by Ignite XRFire Glasses by SnapBody Tattoo by SnapComics Style by Snap Do good: Lenses with you—and the world—in mind Snap wrote, “The Snapchat Generation cares about the world around them, and lenses are a way to engage with the issues that are important to them and their friends. From helping Snapchatters see themselves as the next generation of leaders to expanding awareness around climate change and the dangers of fentanyl, our camera played an important role in driving social change.” Snap’s favorites were: Run for Office: Through voice activation technology, a Snapchatter can declare, “I want to run for office,” to get connected to the resources they need to help launch their campaign. Snapchatters can then take action and explore opportunities in their local community through Snap’s Run for Office Mini.Song for Charlie: In partnership with Song for Charlie, our lenses help raise awareness of the dangers of fentanyl and counterfeit pills and encourage Snapchatters to take the “No Random Pills” pledge. It was engaged with over 21 million times.Bleached Seas: Helena Papageorgiou uses AR to show us the impact climate change—and, more specifically, global warming—is having on our ocean’s ecosystem. Run for Office Other global favorites: White House Covid-19 by The White House (over 16 million Snapchatters engaged with the lens, and it reached over 45 million impressions)Celebrate Earth Day by Snap (over 3.8 million Snapchatters engaged with the lens)Club Unity by Snap (Snapchatters engaged with all three Club Unity Lenses more than 14.7 million times)BlackBritishPlayer by KugalimediaMonumental Perspectives by Los Angeles County Museum of ArtYes I Donate—NHS Organ Donation by SnapBlackSoul Gallery by Leighton McDonald Club Unity Turn up the volume: Say it with a sound The company wrote, “Sounds on Snapchat have been a hit, with more than 1.2 billion video Snaps created and 77 billion views since the feature launched last year. We’re changing the way our community listens to and discovers new music, enabling real friends to recommend and share music and create entertaining video content together. From J Balvin and Olivia Rodrigo to emerging artists like Julia Wolf, there were no shortages of hits.” Snap’s favorites were: Sour, Olivia Rodrigo: This Lens featuring Olivia Rodrigo’s “Sour” stole the hearts of many.Una Nota, J Balvin: The “Una Nota” lens was made by Blnk and later added as a lens available on J Balvin's Snap Star profile.Big Poppa, Notorious B.I.G: Made by Blnk, this Lens took Notorious B.I.G’s “Big Poppa '' to new heights. Other global favorites: “Psycho” by Dixie D'Amelio“star-crossed” by Kacey Musgraves“Cold Heart” by Elton John and Dua Lipa“Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish“Smile” by Wolf Alice“Juicy J Locs” by Juicy J“Hoops” by Julia Wolf Cutting-edge tech: Pushing the boundaries of AR—every day Snap wrote, “Over the years, we’ve taken some of the most innovative technologies and applied them to AR. Concepts that many consider futuristic are actually being used by millions of Snapchatters each day, built by our thriving community of AR experts. From learning American Sign Language to transporting yourself to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the experiences are endless.” Snap’s favorites were: Fingerspell: Using artificial intelligence from SignAll that tracks hand movements to translate ASL, these lenses teach you how to fingerspell common words, phrases—and even your name. Snapchatters engaged with all three ASL Lenses over 17 million times.Reimagining Road Trips With AR: Lauren Cason gives new life to old spaces with AR by taking the simple concept of local road signs to a whole new level with the help of next generation of Spectacles.The Final Christo: Original Works for the Arc de Triomphe: Art lovers can transport themselves to Paris and experience Christo’s landmarker installation, L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped—even if you didn’t get the chance to see it in person—thanks to this portal lens. Over 20 million people engaged with the lens. The Final Christo: Original Works for the Arc de Triomphe Other global favorites: Avatar by SnapDance Twin by Mike Porter (more than 5.7 million impressions)Invisible by Snap (over 19 million impressions)Halloween Kills by SnapCheetos ‘Snap to Steal’ by CheetosWand Duel by Allan YdeOG MetaJacket by RTFKT Studios

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Snap Debuts Its Lens on the Year Report

50 lenses across five categories were chosen by the company, global data

The future of shopping is here: Because AR is the new dressing room

David Cohen

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David Cohen