What's Happening?
Integral Ad Science (IAS) and Snap have announced an expansion of their measurement partnership, introducing third-party viewability and invalid-traffic (IVT) checks for Sponsored Snaps within Snapchat's Chat Feed. This development, effective from November
4, 2025, allows advertisers to access concrete attention metrics for augmented reality (AR) placements such as Lenses and Filters. The new measurement capabilities enable advertisers to track Time-in-View and IVT metrics through the IAS Signal dashboard, facilitating campaign optimization. This move addresses long-standing challenges faced by advertisers in measuring the effectiveness of social AR campaigns, providing verifiable exposure data for creative content within chats and AR experiences.
Why It's Important?
The introduction of third-party verification for Sponsored Snaps is a significant step towards enhancing transparency and accountability in digital advertising. By providing measurable data on viewability and IVT, advertisers can better assess the return on investment (ROI) of their AR campaigns. This development is likely to influence marketing budgets, potentially shifting more resources towards AR formats that demonstrate higher attention and lower IVT. The partnership between IAS and Snap, which has been in place since 2018, underscores the importance of reliable metrics in scaling advertising efforts with confidence. As a result, advertisers may demand more comprehensive reporting from agencies, incorporating these new metrics as standard key performance indicators (KPIs).
What's Next?
With the new measurement capabilities in place, advertisers are expected to conduct creative tests based on Time-in-View and IVT metrics rather than just impressions. Media planners might reallocate budgets towards AR Lenses and Sponsored Snaps that show higher engagement levels. Agencies that fail to integrate IAS Signal metrics into their reporting risk losing business to competitors that can demonstrate attention gains. The industry will likely see a shift in how AR ad strategies are developed, with a focus on proving attention and optimizing spend based on verified data.
Beyond the Headlines
This development highlights the growing importance of third-party verification in digital advertising, particularly in the context of AR and social media platforms. The ability to measure attention and engagement accurately could lead to more innovative and effective advertising strategies, as brands seek to connect with audiences in meaningful ways. Additionally, the partnership between IAS and Snap reflects a broader trend towards collaboration between technology companies to enhance the reliability and effectiveness of digital marketing efforts.
