American Eagle targeting back-to-school sales with Snapchat

US retailer American Eagle is teaming up with social media platform Snapchat to connect with students to drive in-store back-to-school shopping.

In a statement, American Eagle said it was partnering with Snapchat’s ‘Snap Map’ feature “to meet students where they’re already shopping, connecting, and planning their next move,” by placing more than 800 of its retail locations across the US as “promoted places” on the interactive map.

On the ‘Snap Map,’ users can discover American Eagle’s locations, explore Stories and Spotlight content from American Eagle, creators, and other Snapchatters, and click to shop on ae.com for an online shopping experience.

In addition, American Eagle is launching an augmented reality AE Jeans Try-on Haul Lens, which will be available in the Lens Carousel and its public profile.

The campaign makes American Eagle the first speciality fashion retailer to leverage ‘Promoted Places’ with Snapchat, a new advertising placement that highlights places of interest on Snap Map for users. Snapchat adds that the advertising placement offers retail brands a “unique way to reach the 400 million Snapchatters who use Snap Map monthly, build brand loyalty, and drive real-world foot traffic”.

Crystal Alexander, senior manager, client partner at Snap Inc., said: “Snap Map is where millions of Snapchatters go to see what’s happening around them. With over 40 billion opens last quarter alone, it’s become one of the most powerful platforms for real-time discovery.

“With Promoted Places, we’re thrilled to help brands like American Eagle show up in both everyday moments and major events like back to school shopping and turn local discovery into real-world visits.”

The retailer’s campaign is informed by research indicating that more than 95 percent of Snapchat users are planning to shop in person this back-to-school season.