Snapchat will be rolling out six-second unskippable ads, according to various media sources.
The ads will debut on screens from May 15 and will be tested under a new ad format being called ‘Commercials’.
According to Digiday, the Commercials will run in ‘Snapchat Shows’, not in the social media platform’s ‘Discover’ section or in users’ personal uploads.
Snapchat Shows launched on the app early 2017 and offer users content produced in-house with a duration of roughly three to five minutes.
As per Digiday, sources close to Snapchat said: “They are aware people will have to get used to it.”
“That said, so much of the Snapchat generation has gotten accustomed to watching ads to get content.”
At this point, the ads themselves are nothing more than hearsay, and if launched, would follow a spate of negative press about the app and its parent company Snap Inc.
In March, the social media platform faced a fall in the stock market when pop star Rihanna publicly criticised the app after featuring her and ex-boyfriend Chris Brown.
Snapchat found itself in strife after it ran an ad for an online gaming site that asked users if they’d rather “slap Rihanna or punch Chris Brown”.
Prior to this, Snapchat’s share price tumbled a whopping $US1.3 billion ($A1.7 billion) following a tweet from Kylie Jenner who claimed she no longer used the app.
Snap Inc has had a difficult first 12 months as a public listed company with its share price having a roller-coaster ride amid high senior staff turn-over and claims that rivals – Facebook and Twitter – have stolen many of its photo-sharing ideas and combined them with far greater audiences.
