Visual messaging, augmented reality, Gen Z and Millennials : for Snapchat, luxury is built less on the hunt for likes than on intimate daily exchanges and immersive experiences shared among loved ones.
In short
- Snapchat was born in 2011 around the camera and conversations between close friends.
- The platform claims over 943 million monthly users worldwide.
- In France: more than 26 million monthly users and nearly 20 million daily users (figures cited in the interview).
- Two key levers for luxury : conversation (messaging) + immersion (augmented reality).
Why are luxury brands interested in Snapchat?
A platform designed for conversation, not for show
Luxedaily : Today, social networks are essential in digital communication. Why Snapchat ?
Snapchat : Snapchat primarily connects close friends and family through visual messaging. The application opens to the camera, and communication takes place via photos and videos, enhanced with effects, including augmented reality.
"The influence that goes unseen"
Luxedaily: What differentiates Snapchat from other platforms in the luxury sector?
Snapchat: " Snapis influence that isn't visible." The goal isn't to chase after followers; the challenge is to integrate brands into everyday conversations, naturally, at the heart of exchanges between close friends and family.
Augmented reality as a trigger for experience (and conversation)
From filtering to sharing: luxury becomes a topic among friends
Luxedaily : How does augmented reality fit into this conversational model?
Snapchat : Augmented reality can spark a conversation: the user opens the camera, finds a filter (Dior, Prada, Chanel, Vuitton…), then sends it to their friends. Then, as the conversation unfolds, they share experiences and discuss brands they've recently interacted with.
Three gateways to luxury on Snapchat
Luxedaily: Is luxury driven primarily by brands… or by the ecosystem?
Snapchat: There are several perspectives:
- an editorial/official approach (brands and media)
- a creator-led approach (snap Stars)
- and a private approach, among friends and family
Making luxury "livable", not just visible
Virtual try-ons, mini-shops and brand universes
Luxedaily: What makes Snapchat credible for brands that are very demanding about their image?
Snapchat: Augmented reality has a very concrete aspect: it makes a collection accessible via virtual try-ons (glasses, sneakers, watches…), and it also allows you to enter a brand universe.
Winter Village: an immersive experience close to the shop
Luxedaily: Do you have a particularly telling example of an experience?
Snapchat: Winter Village illustrates this logic well: mini augmented reality boutiques with Chopard, Boss and Lancôme, to discover the products in an immersive way, closer to a boutique experience than a standard e-commerce site.
AR as a storytelling tool
Snapchat: augmented reality also allows for storytelling. The example ofa Louis Vuitton exhibition , enriched throughout the visitor experience, shows how the physical and digital worlds can interact.
Gen Z and Millennials: Brand desire is changing shape
More dialogue, more accessibility, more meaning
Luxedaily: Are you seeing a new way of building brand desire?
Snapchat: Yes. New generations expect more than a top-down message: they want dialogue, a more concrete relationship, and a form of accessibility at the right time. The idea is to be present when the desire arises, not just during traditional business hours.
Ethical requirements as justification for the price
Snapchat: they also expect more values: provenance, materials, sourcing, craftsmanship, sustainability… because the demand for luxury also serves to justify the price.
Key activations: Cartier, Winter Village… and a glimpse of the future
Cartier: the panther in AR, from print to display
Luxedaily: Can you name one or two particularly memorable campaigns?
Snapchat: A powerful activation: the Cartier panther animated in augmented reality, notably on a New York Times and via a billboard in Saint-Michel. The objective: to give a new dimension to traditional media and encourage sharing the experience.
A sneak peek at the AR glasses already
Snapchat : this type of device also outlines what's next: what we will be able to do tomorrow with connected glasses in augmented reality, enriching the world around us, in a fluid, effortless way.
2026: Ads in chat and Gen ai
Advertising in chat, a “conversational” format
Luxedaily: Which developments do you find most promising?
Snapchat: Snapchat has launched ad formats integrated into chat (" Sponsored Snaps"), already deployed in several countries but not yet in Europe, due to regulatory constraints. According to Snapchat, the first test markets are showing very high levels of engagement.
Gen AI: Accelerating the creativity of users… and brands
Snapchat : In parallel, Gen AI has enriched creative tools. The goal is to allow users and brands to produce more personalized, faster-to-design, and more immersive experiences.