Gucci made history this month by launching the first luxury brand Sponsored AI Lens on Snapchat, unveiling an interactive experience driven by generative artificial intelligence. This initiative allows users to transform into characters from Gucci’s La Famiglia collection, showcasing the brand’s innovative approach to AI-powered advertising within the luxury sector. The announcement aligns with Snapchat’s efforts to expand its AI lens capabilities throughout 2025.
The Sponsored AI Lens enables Snapchat users to embody six unique characters from the La Famiglia collection. These personas include L’Incazzata, who dons a 1960s-style red coat, La VIP in a complete GG Monogram ensemble, La Bomba styled as “the bombshell,” the tailored Diretore envisioned for “the boss,” Il Figo representing the “cool guy,” and Principino inspired by “the little prince.” Each character reflects specific aspects of Gucci’s aesthetic and narrative.
Geoffrey Perez, Global Head of Luxury at Snap Inc., commented, “Generative AI gives luxury brands an entirely new way to tell stories.” He noted that Gucci has consistently pushed the boundaries of creativity on Snapchat, evolving from augmented reality try-ons to generative AI experiences. “With La Famiglia, we’re taking that collaboration a step further, inviting people not just to look at a campaign, but to step inside it and be part of the experience,” Perez stated.
This launch represents a significant advancement in Snapchat’s Sponsored AI Lens format, initially introduced in April 2025. Internal data indicated that users engaged longer with Sponsored AI Lenses compared to traditional formats. Brands such as Uber and Tinder experienced increased playtime with this innovative advertising format during preliminary testing.
The technology utilizes Snap’s proprietary generative AI, which personalizes transformations by embedding users in AI-generated scenes that reflect Gucci’s brand identity. Unlike standard augmented reality advertising, which overlays digital elements onto real-world views, AI Lenses generate entirely new images that merge users’ appearances with Gucci’s creative universe.
This interactive AI lens marks a shift in how luxury brands approach digital advertising. Traditionally, luxury campaigns have relied on aspirational imagery and stringent control over brand presentation. The AI lens invites direct consumer participation, allowing users to engage with the brand narrative instead of merely viewing it.
The La Famiglia Lens is available via the Snapchat Lens carousel in key markets such as France, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, with global access through Gucci’s public profile. This targeted geographic rollout reflects the strategic priorities of luxury brands, focusing on established markets for high-net-worth individuals while ensuring broader accessibility.
Snapchat’s evolution towards AI-powered advertising formats throughout 2025 set the stage for this luxury brand collaboration. The platform simplified AR content creation, expanding access beyond traditional desktop environments with new mobile and web tools. This democratization of AR content creation coincides with broader industry trends, as reported by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, which noted that 86% of buyers are either using or planning to implement generative AI in video advertising.
Engagement metrics from Snapchat’s AI lens ecosystem show robust user adoption. Over 350 million Snapchatters interact with AR experiences daily, with users creating AR-enhanced content approximately 8 billion times each day. Since their inception, generative AI Lenses have engaged more than 700 million users across 17 billion instances, according to company disclosures.
Crucially, the effectiveness of the advertising format lies in its integration into Snapchat’s core functionalities, allowing users to access sponsored lenses through the same carousel as organic content. This native experience results in a seamless blend of brand messaging and platform use, with performance data indicating a 40% lower cost of attention compared to alternative ad formats.
The Gucci lens serves as a strong indicator of luxury brands’ readiness to explore emerging AI advertising formats, despite traditional conservatism regarding brand control. Historically, luxury brands have exercised tight oversight of their presentations, favoring controlled creative environments over participatory experiences. The La Famiglia lens represents a calculated risk, trading some creative control for enhanced engagement through personalized AI transformations.
This partnership builds on Gucci’s established history of digital innovation, which includes previous ventures into Web3 initiatives such as NFT collections and cryptocurrency payments. While Web3 investments in the fashion industry saw a decline in 2024, the shift toward AI has flourished, evidenced by substantial funding amounts reaching $124.3 billion.
Advertising measurement partnerships further validate the effectiveness of AR formats on Snapchat. Collaborations with entities like Lumen Research have provided insights into visual attention through eye-tracking technology, underlining the correlation between visual engagement and ad recall. These advancements bolster advertiser confidence in deploying cutting-edge formats like generative AI lenses.
The dynamic landscape of social media platforms has intensified competitive pressures on luxury brands’ digital strategies. Despite Snapchat reaching 932 million monthly active users by Q2 2025, recent results indicated a deliberate shift towards profitability over growth, resulting in a slight decline in daily active users. For luxury brands like Gucci, this focus on monetization aligns with targeting affluent consumers in developed markets while navigating potential reach limitations compared to competitors.
As the proliferation of AI-generated media raises concerns about content authenticity, the La Famiglia lens exemplifies the need for clear distinctions between human-created and AI-generated content. Ongoing industry discussions about watermarking and synthetic media labeling are essential to uphold platform integrity and consumer trust. The lens’s launch during the Fashion Week season also positions it within Gucci’s broader marketing strategy, complementing traditional runway presentations with interactive digital experiences.
In conclusion, Gucci’s initiative with Snapchat represents a pioneering move for the luxury sector, signaling a broader acceptance of AI-powered advertising strategies. The La Famiglia lens not only demonstrates the potential for personalized brand interactions but also highlights the urgent need for luxury brands to adapt to the evolving digital landscape. As generative AI continues to reshape marketing dynamics, the implications for consumer engagement and brand storytelling are profound.
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