• by Colin Kirkland , April 1, 2025

In its utilization of Snapchat's newest ad product -- Sponsored Snaps -- global fast-food company Wendy's generated over 52 million impressions in the U.S. within one day.

Snapchat first started testing Sponsored Snaps in October as a way to accelerate the growth of its advertising business by reaching users directly in their chat inboxes with vertical full-screen branded content.

This is the first time Snapchat has shared performance results from a brand’s Sponsored Snap campaign.

Last quarter, Wendy's became the first QSR brand to launch a Sponsored Snap campaign, sending out a personalized inbox ad depicting a Wendy’s sign -- “Can we yap now” -- and the caption, “Saw this and thought of u<3.”

Over the course of a day, Wendy's campaign saw 52 million impressions, marking the highest view rate of all U.S. takeover advertisers in Snap's Q4 Alpha test phase.

Following the Sponsored Snap, Wendy’s in-app profile increased its organic followers by 55% and generated nearly 12,000 clicks -- driving a 17% overall ad awareness brand lift, according to Snap.

In general, Snapchat says Sponsored Snaps are designed to engage prospective customers across the funnel within a single ad placement, attempting to “raise awareness with broad reach” while “improving consideration with people who choose to view the Snap” and “driving conversion with an in-message call-to-action.”

“Since the ad shows up right in a user's chat feed – where they’re already actively engaging – it felt more like a message from a friend than a traditional ad,” Wendy's Vice President of Integrated Marketing Russ Mischner told QSR Magazine.

In Q4 2024, Sponsored Snaps were Snapchat's largest single-day reach product, delivering a 30% increase in reach on average in the U.S. alongside Promoted Places, a feature that invites businesses to highlight their stores on the Snap Map.