Oh Snap! Ads Are Coming to Snapchat

Advertisements will be integrated into the mobile app Snapchat for the first time, co-founder and chief executive Evan Spiegel said Wednesday, marking a potentially big revenue source for the startup valued at $10 billion.

No date for the ads to begin appearing has been set, Spiegel said at Vanity Fair’s New Establishment Summit, the Wall Street Journal reports. But, he added, “we think they’re pretty cool” and users should expect them “soon” in Snapchat’s Stories feature. Snapchat is famous for its photos and messages that self-destruct in 10 seconds or less, but Stories allows users to feature a longer series of videos and pictures in slideshow form that stays up for 24 hours.

Spiegel, 24, said the ads will not be targeted and users will have the option to either opt-in and watch the ad or skip over it. Prior to paid ads, companies like Taco Bell have used Snapchat for marketing purposes.

[WSJ]