The Shoppe - Apple News, Oreo Ads & More

October 13, 2020

Welcome back to The Shoppe! In this week’s edition, we’re discussing new advertising capabilities on Snapchat, updates to Instagram, the latest from Apple and more! Be sure to subscribe to be notified every week of the latest marketing news.

Instagram Launches Updates to Celebrate Its Tenth Birthday

This week, Instagram celebrated its tenth birthday! And to celebrate, the app launched an array of new features such as the Stories Map and custom app icons. The Stories Map provides users a private look into their past Instagram Stories from when they’ve used a location sticker. In an effort to reduce negative user interactions, they’ve expanded their nudge warnings to include users attempting to repeatedly post offensive comments, as well as an automated comment hiding feature that hides content similar to other reported comments.

The app also added the shopping bag icon to IGTV videos, making it easier for users to purchase products within the app.

Snapchat Now Offers “First Commercial” Ad Placement

Snapchat has announced a new place for brands to advertise within the app. The new “First Commercial” offer allows brands to have their ads be the first commercial any user sees within the first Snap show they watch in a day. Whether it's NBC’s Stay Tuned or Complex’s Hot Ones, First Commercial ads will be shown as a non-skippable, 6-second advertisement before any user’s first Snapchat show. With the roll out of advertising products like Snap Select, an offering that allowed brands to buy 6-second ads in a themed bundle of Snapchat’s premium shows, the app has seen increased demand for premium brand takeover. We can expect the app to continue to broaden its advertising capabilities, as the total time spent watching Snapchat shows continues to grow.

Apple Announces Latest Products

This week, Apple launched a variety of new products including the latest iPhone and the HomePod mini! Offering the best 5G experience in the market, the new iPhone 12 models feature Super Retina XDR displays, the A14 Bionic, and MagSafe; high-powered wireless charging and an array of new accessories that attach to iPhone. Available in graphite, silver, gold and the new pacific blue, the latest phones will be available for preorder starting October 16th. In addition to the new phones, Apple has launched their HomePod mini, a smart speaker offering new music listening experiences, an intelligent assistant powered by Siri, and smart home capabilities, with built-in privacy and security. Available in space grey and white, the new speaker allows users to hand off music, answer calls, receive personalized listening suggestions and more. Starting at $99, the HomePod mini will be available for preorder starting November 6th. Learn more about Apple’s latest launch here.

Oreo Launches New Short Film Showing Support for LGBTQ+ Community

As a part of its #ProudParent campaign in partnership with PFLAG, Oreo has unveiled its new three-minute short film depicting a father learning to show support and pride for his LGBTQ+ daughter and her partner. Produced by 360i, the advertisement highlights the brand’s commitment to inclusivity, acceptance and compassion, showcasing the impact of parent allies. Oreo first demonstrated its support for the LGBTQ+ Community with a rainbow stuffed Oreo post on the anniversary of New York’s Marriage Equality Act in 2012. Since then, the brand has continued to show its support despite backlash, encouraging fans to become vocal allies. In addition to the film, Oreo calls on fans to participate in the #ProudParent campaign by posting about what being an ally means to them.

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