Snapchat has long been something of an outlier in the world of social media. Founded in 2011, at the dawn of our burgeoning obsession with chasing likes, comments and followers, it has managed to escape the intense scrutiny faced by rival brands such as Facebook and Instagram in recent years.

This is in part because of how the platform was originally designed; ephemerality, privacy and ‘real friends only’ were early Snapchat tenets that have carried through to today. It also proactively moderates content before it can be seen by large numbers of people, which helps prevent the spread of misinformation and other harmful content.

Since joining parent company Snap as chief creative officer in 2021, Wieden+Kennedy veteran Colleen DeCourcy has been challenging the main misconceptions of the brand, which are often lumped in with the broader negative narrative that has emerged around big tech in recent years.

The brand’s latest campaign goes one step further by highlight the stark differences between Snapchat and other social media platforms. The TV spot, which debuted during this year’s Grammys, uses a wealth of UGC to help turn some of social’s biggest selling points on their head. Think less ‘friends’, more real-life friends; less likes, more love; less social media, more Snapchat.

In an interview with CR last year, DeCourcy said: “Snapchat very much is about enhancing your relationships with friends and family in the world. A lot of platforms have moved off that, become publishing platforms, or viral hit platforms, or entertainment platforms. All valid, but I really felt that people do want and need a healthy environment for that.”

Alongside the film, the campaign rollout includes OOH in cities across the US and UK, as well as print, digital, and even taxicab wraps in the UK.