Maybelline and Calvin Klein are rolling out short video clips interspersed with snapshots of New York Fashion Week shows on the event?s public Snapchat Story, proving that the photo-sharing feature may be an effective marketing venue when leveraged to reach targeted audiences with relevant content.

The makeup brand and clothing retailer are rolling out the five and ten-second advertisements to appeal to fashion enthusiasts seeking to pick up new items for fall. Maybelline and Calvin Klein?s ad units feature their respective spokesmodels, Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner, both of whom can be seen walking the runway for a slew of major designers, making them ideal choices to resonate with the image-conscious target audience.

"Snapchat Stories is today's most exciting and relevant social media platform amongst young consumers,? said Laura Sossong, consultant at Boston Retail Partners, Boston. ?Maybelline and Calvin Klein's utilization of Snapchat capabilities for NYFW advertising will undoubtedly provide an ideal medium for reaching and engaging a pertinent and receptive target market."

The right crowd
Snapchat?s Stories feature is a relatively untapped source for advertising methods, making it a perfect option for brands to tap if they seek to market to specific audiences on the social media application. Not only will Maybelline and Calvin Klein garner increased mobile outreach, but consumers around the nation may feel inspired to one day experience Fashion Week in person.

While many sports marketers have flocked to Stories to leverage crowdsourcing techniques and bring live events to large numbers of consumers, the strategy is likely to work well for brands in any sector as users appreciate seeing snippets of real experiences to fuel future participation (see story).

Snapchat users who visit the Stories tab will see a small circle with ?NYFW? written beneath. Upon clicking on it, they can view a curated collection of Fashion Week attendees? submitted photos and videos of behind-the-scenes action, runway looks and celebrity encounters.

Viewers will see the Story, which runs for several minutes with new content added periodically, broken up by sporadic advertisements. Over the weekend, Maybelline ran two identical ads in the Story, featuring top model Gigi Hadid, who can also be seen walking in many shows this week.

The short video clip features Ms. Hadid wearing Maybelline?s makeup and picking up some of its Push-Up Mascara.

Calvin Klein is also running an advertisement starring fellow runway model Kendall Jenner. The unit is designed to ramp up awareness for the newest Calvin Klein Collections line.

Featuring these spokesmodels is a clever move for the brand, as many fashion enthusiasts will recognize them strutting the runways in users? submitted Snaps. Furthermore, Calvin Klein and Maybelline will be able to reach a younger demographic that enjoys experiencing events via social media.

?Snapchat Stories provides users instant access to content and videos with the touch of a button, which is vital in meeting today's expectations for instant gratification in social media exchanges,? Ms. Sossong said. ?Of-the-moment Snapchat Story posts of NYFW's top runway models will likely generate major hype for the two brands.?

The short nature of the clips results in an unobtrusive experience for users, and the sheer relevance of the ads will likely culminate in a successful campaign.

If Fashion Week guests find themselves in need of some last-minute mascara before a show, they may be prompted to pick up Maybelline?s product after spotting it in the video.

Creative efforts
Brands with younger target demographics are increasingly finding themselves in need of getting more creative with their advertising efforts, which often times translates to experimenting on new mobile platforms.

In July, Calvin Klein introduced its first-ever campaign on the dating application Tinder, launching its advertising efforts for the fall 2015 denim line by attempting to connect its ?sexy? brand image to the seductive appeal of the Tinder app (see story).

Calvin Klein and Maybelline?s foray into Snapchat?s fashion world will likely offer a positive response from consumers. The image-savvy users who follow New York Fashion Week videos and photos will appreciate the relevant ads, as opposed to units that have little to do with clothing or cosmetics.

?The reach of Snapchat is rapidly expanding, giving retailers the ability to gain real-time access to the multiple million users of the application,? Ms. Sossong said. ?Expanding brand exposure on Snapchat will be particularly valuable for trendy, fast-fashion retailers who are looking to reach early adopters and others likely to quickly spread information to their peers."

Final Take
Alex Samuely, editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York