Snapchat’s latest moves signal its ambitions to muscle in on the world of fashion e-commerce.
Following a successful sneaker drop with Nike that leveraged new augmented reality features, Snapchat partnered with Adidas to launch a new limited-edition version of the Falcon W sneaker through a new show entitled “Fashion 5 Ways,” with commerce powered by Shopify.
Fulfilled through Darkstore, which also handled logistics for the Nike drop, the app-exclusive $100 sneaker sold out in just six hours, though Adidas declined to specify how many shoes were available for the Snap special, Adweek reported. The German shoe maker reportedly plans to open up sales to all customers “soon.”
Snap said the Fashion 5 Ways episode attracted millions of viewers, with 70 percent of the audience females aged 13-24 years old—customers likely to talk about the shoe on social media, according to Adweek. eMarketer data shows that Snapchat become the most popular social networking site among teens in 2016, and is expected to add 1.2 million 12- to 17-year-old users by 2022. Snapchat lost 3 million users in the most recent quarter—the first time it’s reported such a decline.
Adidas’ interest in the young female demographic is further evidenced by its latest brand ambassador: 21-year-old social media queen and beauty mogul Kylie Jenner, whose net worth is rapidly approaching $1 billion. Jenner’s reach and influence are undeniable; according to data from D’Marie Analytics, a social influencer firm, one Instagram post by the Kardashian Klan member is the equivalent of $1 million in traditional ad spending.
Jenner, who took to Instagram to announce her partnership with Adidas, is the new face of the Falcon sneaker and will be starring in a forthcoming campaign to promote a shoe that was initially released the year she was born.
The mother of one is particularly influential among teen and tween girls, a demographic increasingly important to athletic brands that have been investing in women’s apparel, footwear and accessories amid an explosion in urban-inspired streetwear and the rise of athleisure culture. Sister Kendall Jenner and brother-in-law Kanye West, who helms the Yeezy label, also are influencers for Adidas.