MAJOR LAZER + SNAPCHAT
CREATIVE / EXPERIENCE DIRECTOR
OGILVY / SNAPCHAT
SUMMARY
A Snapchat campaign that turned fans into the stars of Major Lazer’s “Front of the Line” music video using custom AR lenses.
I was creative lead and experience director, shaping the concept into something achievable within Snapchat’s limits. I directed the lens effects and animations to sync with the track, supervised 3D and art direction, and led a live-action shoot to promote the lenses. The result was Snapchat’s first full-song lens experience, played over 42 million times and awarded at Cannes Lions, The One Show, ADDYs, and AICP Next.
TYPE
AR Campaign
Music Marketing
WHAT I DID
CREATIVE LEAD
ART DIRECTION
PRODUCTION DESIGN
AWARDS
Cannes Lions
The One Show
ADDY Awards
AICP Next Awards
42 million lens plays
29 years total playtime
50 million earned media impressions
510% increase in average engagement time
A SNAPCHAT MUSIC VIDEO
Bacardi and Major Lazer wanted to launch the track “Front of the Line” in a way that felt liberating, interactive, and global. The idea: reinvent the music video inside Snapchat. But lenses had a strict 10-second cap and no one had ever pushed a full song through the platform before.
As creative lead and experience director, I reshaped the brief into something achievable within Snapchat’s constraints. We worked closely with Snapchat to extend lens runtime to 60 seconds for the first time ever. I directed the interactive experience design, timing effects and animations to the beat of the track, and oversaw 3D supervision and art direction. I also directed a shoot with dancers and talent in summer and club settings, later overlaid with the lenses to drive promotion across channels.
The campaign smashed expectations. The Snapchat lenses had over 42 million plays, with 29 years of cumulative playtime, and a 510% increase in average engagement time. Fan-created clips were compiled into a “supercut” music video, extending reach far beyond the app. Industry recognition followed with top honors at Cannes Lions, The One Show, ADDYs, and AICP Next Awards.
LENS EXAMPLE
LOW POLY PARTY
WRAP UP
This project proved that bending a platform’s limits can redefine an entire format. We didn’t just make a Snapchat lens, we turned it into a stage where millions of fans could co-star in Major Lazer’s music video.