Hidden Black Stories for Snapchat - Best Idea/Concept Winner - PrettyGreen - The Independent Agency Awards 2022

Campaign Summary:

On 11 February 2022, we launched Hidden Black Stories – a suite of new AR experiences in Trafalgar Square as part of Snap’s ongoing commitment to lend its platform to underrepresented communities and showcase the power of AR as an advocacy tool. This date also marked the anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from Robben Island; a historic figure who features in Snap’s Hidden Black Stories lens.

Snapchat’s Hidden Black Stories campaign shone a light on under-appreciated histories and generated wide-reaching coverage across a variety of media platforms, generating valuable awareness of the Black Cultural Archives (BCA).

We partnered with Tukwini Mandela, granddaughter of Nelson Mandela, to raise awareness of the need for accessible education on Black History and provide media with a credible spokesperson for interview. Snap’s Hidden Black Stories lens was covered 66 media outlets including Good Morning Britain, Sky News, BBC Radio 4, Women’s Hour, ITV News, The Guardian, Metro, Independent, GQ, Stylist and Grazia reaching 1.25BN people.

Since launch there have been 55K+ uses of Snap’s Hidden Black Stories lens and engagement of content on BCA’s website has been 58% higher than average, therefore encouraging audiences to learn more about Black British history – and appreciate why Black history is British history.

Ultimately this Snap campaign set out on a mission to turn AR, augmented reality, into BR, black reality.

- PrettyGreen​