Snapchat tries to distance itself from harmful social media in new campaign

Snapchat is a social media platform, but it’s not social media, according to a new ad campaign that aims to distance the image-sharing app from rival services facing scrutiny for perpetuating harm on the internet. In a two-minute spot, innocent posts of selfies and opinions cascade into an ugly spiral of self-comparison, attention-seeking and divisiveness, as the background instrumentation crescendos toward a terrifying shrill. The message, that social media is tearing us apart, gives way to the ad’s second act, in which Snapchat is presented as something wholly different, a world where users seek fun and connection over “likes” and trolling. The spot was made in-house and produced by Arts Academy. It was directed and edited by Tommy Harden. “Less social media. More Snapchat,” as the campaign is candidly called, is an attempt to extricate the yellow app from the negative publicity besieging its brethren. Instagram, TikTok, Snap and others have long been accused of facilitating social harm to vulnerable teens and children—a process enabled by always-on algorithms that manipulate users’ attention and emotions. More recently, some of these companies have come under fire for not doing enough to stop the spread of child sex abuse material on their platforms. The campaign’s timing seems directly tied to this latter concern. The launch comes just two days after social media chiefs, including Snap’s own Evan Spiegel, testified in front of members of the Senate Judiciary Committee during a much-anticipated hearing on child safety online. The session was tense, drawing heated grilling from senators, who at one point likened social media platforms to Big Tobacco in terms of the harms they perpetuate. “The truth is, [social media] has come to mean a group of things that don’t really have a lot of value or goodness,” said Colleen DeCourcy, Snap’s chief creative officer, in an interview with Ad Age. Snapchat is different, according to DeCourcy, because private messaging is its primary purpose, as opposed to curating public feeds meant to draw attention to oneself. She said that its algorithms are not programmed to disseminate harmful material. Spiegel also addressed these differences during a keynote at CES last month. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs Children’s online safety Snap last week became the first social media giant to support the Kids Online Safety Act, a bill proposal that would regulate how these platforms protect young users. Snapchat has a relatively clean track record compared to rivals such as Instagram and TikTok; it pre-moderates content that shows up on the app and has rolled out features such as parental controls to meet the growing call for more protections. But Snapchat has also faced its fair share of controversy. Over 60 families of children who allegedly acquired illicit drugs through the platform have filed a joint lawsuit against Snap for enabling the activity. Last month, a Los Angeles judge ruled that the suit could proceed to trial, quashing Snap’s effort to dismiss it. And Snapchat’s integration of generative AI has placed the platform within the growing concern over how this technology could exacerbate the spread of harmful material. Recently on X, formerly Twitter, explicit deepfakes of Taylor Swift caused an outcry, prompting members of Congress to propose a bill that would criminalize the dissemination of such images generated by AI. A one-minute version of “Less social media. More Snapchat” will air on TV during the Grammy Awards on Feb. 4. The campaign will also include out-of-home placements, posts on social media and a full-page ad in The New York Times. Contributing: Gillian Follett Sign up for Ad Age newsletters From influencer marketing to agencies, get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox Click here

Snapchat tries to distance itself from harmful social media in new campaign

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