Brands such as Express put all of their chips into Snapchat for engagement this Black Friday as the platform emerges as one of the strongest points of access for time-sensitive bricks-and-mortar promotions.

The clothing retailer?shares of which have been taking a bath this past year?looked to a series of five Black Friday and holiday-themed national Snapchat filters throughout the day to boost sales. The brand joined a few others in the excursion on the platform, all of which were somewhat overshadowed by the release Snapchat?s own uber-hyped Spectacles in New York.

?Snapchat is a mix-reality service, it is blurs the lines between digital and live physical experiences and enables people to share,? said Michael Becker, managing partner at mCordis. ?The key with any program, whether it be a Black Friday event or Cyber Monday, is to consider the individual you?re serving and the context their in.?

Express?s national filters included  "It Runs in the Fam," "But First Coffee," "Black Friday Beast Mode," "Leftovers are Lit," and "The Party Starts Now.?

A press release cited the company?s impetus to join in on the fun, stating that because Snapchat has 150 million active daily users with more than two-thirds of daily Snapchatters creating content every day, the program would be a strong play at the millennial market, which comprises most of the platform?s user base and does not hesitate to incorporate sponsored filters. 

"Our #ExpressLife holiday campaign is all about celebrating with the people they love. Now more than ever our customer is not only enjoying these life moments, but also sharing them via their social media channels," said Jim Hilt, chief marketing officer at Express in a press release. "Our national Snapchat filters allow our customers to get in the holiday spirit, while creating and sharing memories through the Express lens."

Another brand that leveraged the platform, albeit on a smaller, more target scale, was the promotional campaign for the film Incarnate, releasing on December 2nd. 

The film posted a Black Friday Mall Snapchat Geofilter that was available for access in over 3,700 mall locations, beginning November 23 and ending today. 

The filter for the Aaron Eckhart-led horror film is a curious choice in a few ways. For one, the filter does not provide any sort of information on the film itself outside of the premiere date, crucial for a project that is being targeted towards consumers that are more than likely preoccupied with holiday shopping and are seeing it in passing. 

Also, the choice of venue for the filter is perplexing: although consumers are already inside malls, many of which do include movie theaters on their premises, the film does not release until December 2; some of the impulsivity that Snapchat filters?especially Geofilters?are known to incite is wasted on lost inertia.

Perhaps the biggest news pertaining to Snapchat?s marketing in the past weekend pertains to the platform itself: its Spectacles, which are accrued an aura of exclusivity with consumers, were released in New York last week.

The latest vending machine?the only way to purchase Spectacles while evading the notorious aftermarket markups?is located inside a pop-up at 5 East 59th Street in Manhattan. 

Snapchat further capitalized on the hype by including a hidden augmented reality feature in the Spectacles: if a user points the Spectacles at the lettering on the product?s protective case, a filter unlocks that unleashes floating bubbles, which feature Snaps of other users. 

Any interested users will have to bear a long wait, as the excitement that the Spectacles have generated has resulted in hours-long waits in front of Spectacles vending machines.

While shrewd marketers have been using Snapchat for some time, widespread adoption of the platform is just now becoming recognized as an essential element of an advertising playbook instead of an amenity (see story). 

?Snapchat is a wonderful medium for people to be able to express themselves in the moment and to share the filter-enhanced experience their having with their friends,? Mr. Becker said. ?While social media programs of this nature may influence incremental sales, I think their true benefit comes from enhancing a connection with an individual and gaining reach through the individual?s network. 

?Programs of this nature helps a brand establish and reinforce an emotional connection with the shopper and to going reach throughout the shopper?s community.?