In Feature 030 of Conversations Behind the Campaign, we interview Harley Ilott, Head of UK Marketing at Snapchat.
Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, is an American technology company founded in 2011. With over 900 million monthly active users and ambitious plans to reach one billion, Snapchat continues to be at the forefront of innovation in its sector.
Harley brings a wealth of marketing experience to Snapchat, having previously led consumer marketing at Bumble and overseen brand strategy for eBay UK. He began his career in the travel sector, holding key marketing roles at American Airlines, the world’s largest airline.
In an exclusive conversation with Because of Marketing, Harley takes us behind the scenes of Snapchat’s latest UK campaign, ‘Little Joys’. He shares the campaign objective and how Gen Z’s unique behaviours, language, and values helped shape the creative direction of the campaign. He also discusses why Snapchat partnered with brands such as McDonald’s, Tesco, Gymshark, and Lime to amplify the campaign and what’s next as he continues to grow the platform’s presence in the UK.
Q1. What was the core marketing objective behind Snapchat’s recent ‘Little Joys’ campaign?
Snapchat is all about connection. It’s the place where 21 million people in the UK go to connect with their friends & family, and share the moments that matter the most to them. The every day moments that may seem mundane; but on Snapchat, they are special. From the small things like a picnic, a work call or a tube ride to bigger moments like a new flat, a birthday or an anniversary – this campaign demonstrated how these moments are brought to life on our platform every single day.
Little Joys is all about celebrating just that – the small moments of joy that Snapchat brings. Showing how real Snapchatters use the platform through real Snaps with the aim of sharing that joy with the world, highlighting what makes Snapchat so unique, raw, unfiltered, and authentic.
Q2. With 90% of UK Gen Z on Snapchat, how did their behaviours, language and preferences inform the creative direction of the campaign?
Snapchat knows Gen Z arguably better than any other platform. We have a unique relationship with this generation – it’s where they feel most comfortable being themselves, sharing unfiltered moments, and communicating visually. This deep understanding of Gen Z’s digital habits allowed us to tap into their world authentically, and so instead of speaking to them, we chose to hero them. Every piece of creative was grounded in real Snaps from real Snapchatters, celebrating the spontaneity, humour, and visual storytelling that define Gen Z’s relationship with Snapchat.
Q3. Snapchat’s ‘Little Joys’ campaign emphasises authenticity and user-generated content, how do you balance raw, unpolished visuals with brand storytelling? Did you experience any challenges and if so, how did you overcome them?
Snapchat was built as an alternative to the curated, glossy moments that we see on other platforms. It was built to be an alternative to traditional social media. Our founders Evan and Bobby wanted a platform that helped friends stay truly connected, communicating the full range of human emotion – not just what appears to be pretty or perfect. That’s why we never needed a balance between unpolished visuals and brand storytelling – our brand is raw, real, and it reflects life as it actually happens. Our storytelling doesn’t sit outside the community – it lives within it. Every Snap, every moment, is part of the brand narrative because our community is our brand.
Q4. Can you walk us through the process of selecting the 17 Snapchatters featured in the campaign?
When we kicked off this project at the beginning of the year, I knew that agency selection was key. We wanted an agency that reflected a modern Britain, and understood our core Gen Z audience inside out. As soon as we had the tissue session with Weirdo, we knew we’d found ‘the one’. They are a studio that were founded to correct the lack of diversity within the creative industries, and are community-powered – something that really resonated with us at Snapchat.
Weirdo has an incredible network of diverse community groups that they partner with, giving them access to hundreds of Snapchatters. We paired this with street casting in Central London – finding the right groups of friends to help bring our story to life.
The 17 Snapchatters we worked with know and love Snapchat, and use it regularly and so this really helped create the authentic content we were looking to make.
Q5. Why did you choose to partner with McDonald’s, Tesco, GymShark and Lime and how were they integrated into the overall creative concept?
As we developed the campaign and began ingesting Snaps from our Snapchatters, one thing became very clear: brands are organically woven into the daily lives and conversations on Snapchat. They’re not separate from conversation – they are part of it. Whether it’s deciding what to have for dinner, planning a weekend hangout, or showing off a new outfit; brands naturally show up in the moments that matter to our community.
With that in mind, we knew we wanted to collaborate with brands that are not only culturally relevant but also play a recurring role in Gen Z’s everyday life. McDonald’s, GymShark, Tesco, and Lime are perfect examples – they’re embedded in the UK’s social fabric. These brands don’t just sell products or services; they show up in Snaps, group chats, and real-life plans.
We specifically chose partners that already had a strong, trusted relationship with both Snapchat and our audience. Each brand was seamlessly integrated into the Little Joys creative framework, with content that felt true to their identity but also aligned with the raw, joyful, and spontaneous tone of the campaign. Instead of forced product placements, these collaborations celebrated how each brand naturally shows up in the lives of Snapchatters – from strapping your McDonald’s takeaway into a child seat, hopping on a Lime to meet friends, going to the gym and forgetting your shoes, and visiting ‘big Tesco’ with your Dad.
Q6. What can we expect next from the ‘Little Joys’ platform or Snapchat’s brand marketing in general?
The beauty of this campaign is that it’s totally universal. Every day, billions of Snaps are sent – each one capturing a small, personal moment that reflects joy, connection, and real life as it’s happening. That means the Little Joys platform has endless potential to evolve, scale, and tap into the richness of our community’s daily experiences.
My goal is continuing to grow this platform into a long-term celebration of what makes Snapchat unique: its authenticity, its spontaneity, and its deep connection to Gen Z culture. I see Little Joys as more than a campaign – it’s a brand narrative that can flex across moments, seasons, and even regions.
Q7. Where can our audience follow and engage with you and Snapchat on social media?
If you’re not on Snapchat – you should be. Download it today and join over 460 million people on the platform every day. You never know – you may end up in our next campaign!
