Snapchat launched its first ad ever on October 17th for Universal’s movie, Ouija. The ad appears in recent updates and disappears after being viewed or within 24 hours. To see the ad, users press and hold the image, similar to viewing snaps from their friends. In their blog Snapchat seemed almost embarrassed and apologetic that they have started running ads "to make money”.“This is the first time we have done anything like this….it’s going to feel a little weird at first but we are taking the plunge.” Snapchat continued, "We want to see if we can deliver an experience that’s fun and informative, the way ads used to be, before they got creepy and targeted."At this point, Snapchat has so much inventory and choice in advertisers that they can easily run ads that are valuable to both advertisers and consumers. Personally, I think they need to watch what they say now, as they will most likely begin to target based on users’ behavior so they can maximize inventory. I do, however, like their interest in placing “content” in the form of ads in front of users. Marketers that focus on creating entertaining, relevant content that happens to also build brand will be the most successful in social media.Below is a sample of the ad -

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