Big brands line up for Snapchat's sponsored lenses
Snapchat's sponsored lenses may carry a hefty price tag, however, they are said to be proving worth it, as ​successful campaigns reach tens of millions of users. Insiders claim one-day "takeover" campaigns for special events and holidays could cost between $600-$750,000 and Pixar, 20th Century Fox, L'Oreal, and Starbucks are reportedly among the firms lining up in a bid to emulate the success of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, whose beach-themed filter was "viewed 41 million times and played with by 29 million users" in a single day.

Snapchat is set to cash in on its surreal selfies. Eight months after securing 20th Century Fox for its first sponsored lens to promote The Peanuts Movie, the number of marketers signing on for Snapchat's bespoke filters has steadily grown. Lenses, which add colorful filters to selfies—from rainbow vomit to zombie faces—are wildly popular with users, namely millennials. Lenses change regularly, keeping users coming back every day. And since last fall, brands can pay Snapchat to create sponsored filters that appear in the same section of the app for one day at a time.