First Political Ad Appears On Snapchat In 'Live Story' Of Sen. Joni Ernst’s 'Roast and Ride' Event

Snapchat Saturday became a vehicle for paid political advertising. The disappearing photo and video sharing app shared an ad paid for by nonprofit advocacy group American Action Network.

The 10-second ad will appear in a “Live Story” -- a public feed curated by Snapchat’s team that includes photos and videos from Sen. Joni Ernst’s “Roast and Ride” event, the New York Times reported.

The inaugural event, led by Ernst, includes a 38-mile motorcycle ride. Prior to the ride, Republican candidates will be speaking at festival grounds in Boone, Iowa. Marco Rubio, Scott Walker, Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, Mike Huckabee and Rick Perry were scheduled to speak, Politico reports.

The American Action Network also uploaded the ad to YouTube:

“Stand up for American jobs by calling Congress and urging them to pass TPA [trade promotion authority]. Because if we don’t lead, China will,” the ad reads.

Based in Washington, the American Action Network, promotes center-right solutions. The group currently has a $900,000 campaign planned urging support for TPA, a legislative tool that allows Congress to set trade objectives.

The American Action Network paid for and created the video. “[The ad] was created the same way our normal ads are but we changed the specs so it fit the vertical requirement,” Dan Conston, communications director for the American Action Network wrote in an email.

The “live story” from Saturday’s event and thereby the ad will only be viewable to Snapchat users in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Washington, the Times said.

This new advertising model is a recent change for Snapchat. The company previously allowed advertisers to pay for a “Brand Story” -- standalone content pushed to Snapchat users on the public feed. For example, Universal Pictures’ “Ouija” paid for a trailer to push to all Snapchat users.

Now, advertisers can pay for an ad placed within a “Live Story.” Advertisers can spend $400,000 to $500,000 for a full-takeover of a story that includes brand mention on the feed name and several branded ads throughout the feed, Ad Age reported.

Advertisers can also pay for a single ad, for up to 10 seconds, as the American Action Network did. These ads can cost as much as $100,000, Ad Age reported, or can be cheaper with more localized options, limiting the reach to certain areas.

The American Action Network’s ad was the first political one on the app, a Snapchat representative confirmed to International Business Times.

Snapchat, last valued at an estimated $19 billion, has continued its reach into politics. The Venice, California, company hired Peter Hamby, former CNN national political reporter, as the first head of news in April. Politicians have also taken a liking to the app. Presidential contender Rick Perry posted a video on his Snapchat account before taking the stage to make his formal announcement Friday.