Weekly Prompt: BeReal gets real about ads and other news

BeReal gets real about ads in the US

BeReal has officially launched its native advertising platform in the United States, as it seeks to expand its monetisation efforts following its acquisition by French mobile publisher Voodoo in 2023. The social media company, known for its unfiltered, once-daily photo-sharing format, confirmed the move on 10 April, supported by the appointment of Ben Moore, previously of TikTok, as its US managing director.

Moore, who brings experience in global media partnerships and digital advertising strategy, will lead a newly formed team focused on sales, partnerships and user growth. His remit includes scaling BeReal’s US ad offering, which features targeted in-feed ads and exclusive full-day takeovers designed to integrate seamlessly with the app’s core user experience.

Over 200 brands, including Nike, Netflix, Levi’s and Amazon, have already trialled advertising on BeReal in international markets. BeReal claims that Levi’s campaign achieved five times higher engagement than on other platforms. In the US, BeReal says it has around 5 million monthly active users, with Gen Z comprising 85% of its global user base.

The launch follows several months of testing and comes as BeReal works to stabilise user retention following a decline in app downloads and usage. The company has stated that more than 50% of its users in key markets such as the US, France and Japan are active six days a week.

Sources: Marketing Dive, MediaPost, TechCrunch

Additional prompts

Snap debuts sponsored AI lenses for advertisers. Snap has launched sponsored AI lenses, a new generative AI ad format allowing users to place themselves into branded, interactive visuals via their front-facing camera. Built using Snap’s in-house One Snap technology, the format aims to enhance creativity rather than replace it. Brands like Tinder and Uber Eats trialled the lenses with themed experiences during key holidays. The ad units, produced by Snap’s team, can feature up to 10 transformations and appear as the first lens in the carousel reaching 300 million users daily. Currently, they are only available as a premium managed service, not self-serve. Read more on AdExchanger

LinkedIn tests video trends to boost user engagement. LinkedIn is testing a video trends feature that encourages members to record short-form video responses to professional topics gaining traction in the app. Trending topics are tagged in video posts and feeds, with a call-to-action prompting users to “Add to this trend” via their camera. The format mirrors TikTok’s participatory style and builds on LinkedIn’s earlier Collaborative Articles experiment. Although aimed at individual users, the feature could indicate new directions in content engagement. LinkedIn reports a 36% year-on-year increase in video watch time, reflecting rising interest in video formats, particularly among younger professionals. Read more on Social Media Today

Reddit adds partner tools to boost ad collaboration. Reddit has introduced a new partner collaboration feature within its Business Manager platform, allowing advertisers to grant third parties access to manage or co-run ad campaigns. The update enables agencies and brands to share profiles, credit lines, and collaborate more directly on Reddit Ads. It marks a shift from Reddit’s original single-entity model to one that supports multi-business partnerships. Advertisers can now run co-branded campaigns or extend billing access to partners. Reddit describes this as a fundamental change to its ad workflow, with plans to expand shared assets such as pixels, audiences and ad accounts in future updates. Read more on Social Media Today