I hope you’ve all recovered from that Meta outage last week; what a drama! This week, Instagram’s letting you trial Reels with non-followers, Snapchat’s going all-in on festive features, and some classic emojis might be dead (literally 💀). Plus, WhatsApp’s holiday upgrades and a look back at Snap’s biggest 2024 moments. Grab an eggnog, and let’s dive in!
Latest News
💀 RIP ‘RIP’: The Emojis We’re Burying
Turns out the 💀 (skull) emoji is dead… metaphorically. Social sentiment analysis says it’s falling out of favour, along with acronyms like RIP and WTF. Unfortunately, overuse has made them feel cliché. But not everyone’s letting go—Rhi, our Campaign Director, insists: “You’ll have to pry the skull emoji out of my cold, dead hands. Same with WTF.” Which other emojis are on their way out? Watch this space. 👉 Read more
🎬 Testing the Waters with Trial Reels
Instagram’s Trial Reels lets creators share content exclusively with non-followers first. Why? So you can test fresh ideas without risking side-eyes from your existing audience. After 24 hours, check your engagement stats and decide whether it’s a hit or a hard pass. Smart move, Insta. 👉 Read more
📅 DM Like a Pro: Instagram Tests Scheduling
No more late-night message regrets (especially important at this time of the year). Instagram’s testing a DM scheduling tool (currently only for Android users), letting you send messages at the perfect time. This is a game-changer for brands managing global campaigns or friends just wishing they were more organised. 👉 Read more
📞 Holiday Cheer, WhatsApp-Style
WhatsApp is making sure your family calls don’t fail this festive season. Updates include smoother group calls, fun video effects (puppy ears, anyone?), and improved quality for both desktop and mobile. You can even create call links for those inevitable last minute holiday catch-ups. 👉 Read more
🎁 Snapchat’s Festive Features Unwrapped
Snapchat has rolled out holiday goodies for everyone. Snapchat+ subscribers get exclusive Bitmoji reactions and app themes, while regular users can enjoy new holiday Lenses like Ugly Sweater Mood. Plus, a new chat setting lets you keep messages for 7 days—ideal for coordinating chaotic family plans. 👉 Read more
📸 2024 in a Snap: AR, Sports, and Pink Dogs
Snapchat’s 2024 Review highlights a year of sports fandom, viral AR Lenses, and niche favorites like Pink Dog. Snap users spent 25 million minutes engaging with sports content and tried on millions of NBA jerseys virtually. With Snap bridging creativity and connection, it’s been quite the year for the platform. 👉 Read more
💡 TEAM LEWIS Likes
✨ Campaigns We Love ✨
🧣 Nestlé’s Turtles Turtleneck
Need to hide from holiday chaos? Nestlé’s Turtles Turtleneck has an extra-long neck to duck behind and a slit for eating chocolate. Holiday multitasking at its finest. 👉 Read more
❄️ Vanilla Ice: Cold Call Comeback
Vanilla Ice stars in a hilarious campaign for Export Ultra Beer, helping Kiwis “show up before their beers blow up” in the freezer. 90s nostalgia + ice puns = perfection. 👉 Watch it here
🗓️ Mark Your Calendars
Opportunities to celebrate this week
- Thursday 19th December: Re-Gifting Day 🎁
- Friday 20th December: International Human Solidarity Day 🤝
- Saturday 21st December: Winter Solstice ❄️
- Sunday 22nd December: Dalek Remembrance Day 🤖
- Monday 23rd December: Roots Day 🌳
- Tuesday 24th December: Christmas Eve 🎅
- Wednesday 25th December: Christmas Day🎄
And next…
- Thursday 26th December: Boxing Day 🥊
- Friday 27th December: Leftovers Day 🍽️
- Saturday 28th December: Call a Friend Day 📞
- Sunday 29th December: Tick Tock Day ⏰
- Monday 30th December: Bacon Day 🥓
- Tuesday 31st December: New Year’s Eve 🎆
- Wednesday 1st January: New Year’s Day 📆
- Thursday 2nd January: Science Fiction Day 🚀
- Friday 3rd January: International Mind-Body Wellness Day 🧘
- Saturday 4th January: World Braille Day ⠿
- Sunday 5th January: Bird Day 🐦
- Monday 6th January: World Day for War Orphans 💔
- Tuesday 7th January: Orthodox Christmas Day 🎄
- Wednesday 8th January: National Bubble Bath Day 🛁
That’s a wrap for 2024. Please do get in touch if you want to chat about strategy or planning for 2025 🎉. And thanks so much for reading, sharing, and coming along for the ride this year. We’re heading off for a little festive cheer but will return with all the latest social and content news in 2025.
Happy holidays and see you next year! 🎊
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