Reaching today’s prospective students means meeting them in the digital spaces they enjoy most, and doing so with experiences that feel personal, interactive, and fun. For colleges and universities, Snapchat’s augmented reality (AR) ad formats—Filters and Lenses—offer a dynamic way to become part of those everyday moments.
What Are Snapchat’s AR Lenses and Filters?
Over 75% of Snapchat’s daily active users engage with augmented reality features. These creative tools allow institutions to show up in ways that are both engaging and meaningful, helping prospective students connect emotionally with an institution’s brand during some of their most exciting life moments, from acceptance day to orientation to campus visits. Snapchat offers two AR formats: Filters and Lenses.
Filters appear after a user captures a Snap. They’re static graphic overlays — often incorporating text, logos, or visual elements like school colors or campus icons. Filters support events like campus tours, visit programs, or acceptance announcements. For example, a filter might feature a branded overlay to celebrate acceptance season.
Lenses are interactive and available before capture. They use facial recognition and AR technology to let users engage in real time with animations, branded effects, or 3D objects. A Lens can bring more immersive storytelling to life. A tap-to-change effect could show different academic buildings, or a 3D mascot could cheer when a user smiles. These formats support key moments while making the student feel like part of the brand story.
Both formats allow colleges and universities to become part of the conversation in a natural, creative way through content prospective students are already generating and sharing with their peers.
Smarter Targeting, Better Reach
These ad formats are valuable for top-of-funnel marketing efforts. Their visual, interactive nature makes them well-suited to increase brand recall and visibility among prospective students. They support overall brand awareness goals by embedding the institution’s presence in organic peer-to-peer content and daily app use. Further, campaigns that use AR see a measurable lift in both brand awareness and action intent, according to Snapchat for Business, helping institutions go beyond reach to drive real impact.
AR campaigns on Snapchat can use the same targeting options as traditional ads, making it easy to reach the right audience. Snapchat allows for a wide range of targeting tactics—from basic demographic targeting to lookalike and list-based audiences. This flexibility aligns campaigns to goals like reaching first-year applicants or re-engaging local transfers.
Why It Matters
Snapchat’s AR formats give higher ed marketers a creative, scalable way to meet prospective students where they are — on mobile, in real time, and ready to share. AR advertising on Snapchat offers multiple levels of creative complexity, allowing institutions to tailor their approach based on budget, timeline, and campaign objectives. These tools combine targeted delivery with rich visual storytelling, helping institutions boost brand visibility while supporting key recruitment milestones and increasing enrollment.
Enhance Your Digital Marketing Strategy With Snapchat AR
Ready to explore how Snapchat’s AR filters and lenses can elevate your next campaign? Start a conversation with Carnegie to learn how to bring your institution’s story to life through Snapchat.
This blog was written by Senior Social Media Specialist, Haley Mattera; Social Media Specialist, Anna Gardner; and Social Media Associate, Brittnei Sherrod.