Biden plans Snapchat lens for opening day alongside locked live event

With an ongoing pandemic and an unprecedented lockdown of the nation’s capital, Joe Biden’s inauguration will be different from those that preceded it.

Biden’s inaugural committee has already planned a week of big TV events – like the live performances of Lady Gaga and Fall Out Boy – but in an attempt to recreate the camaraderie of a live event, the team has also come up with a new one. way for supporters to participate virtually.

On Wednesday, the Biden team will launch a Snapchat lens that will transport users to Capitol Hill to participate from their homes. Once the inaugural lens is selected in Snapchat’s reel, users can take a selfie in front of the Capitol as confetti falls from above. If users turn the camera around, they will be greeted by a Biden Jumbotron in front of a crowd of inauguration attendees whose faces are selfies sent by supporters online.

The Snaphat lens will play an exclusive message from Biden addressing Snapchatters directly. “Hey Snapchat !! It’s me, Joe. Welcome to the inauguration! ” he says.

The lens will also direct users who have access to it to a live stream of the inauguration event on Wednesday.

“This year’s grand opening allowed us to create new, innovative and creative tools for Americans across the country to participate in inaugural traditions and ceremonies while staying at home to keep everyone safe,” said Christian Tom, digital director of the inaugural presidential committee. “We are delighted that President-elect Biden is sharing his message on unifying the country with people on Snapchat and inviting them to be a part of this historic inauguration.”

Security measures have made traditional selfies impossible, as much of Washington, DC has been locked up in the wake of the Capitol Riot. The FBI has warned of planned armed protests in the region, which has prompted the Department of Homeland Security to launch an inaugural security operation to keep the White House and the Capitol building safe during groundbreaking events. About 21,000 members of the National Guard will be in Washington on Wednesday to help secure the event.

Snapchat’s groundbreaking goal builds on the augmented reality tech campaign Biden used last year to get the vote. In a pre-election day goal, users could point their cameras at USPS mailboxes and receive instructions on how to vote by mail. Last September, the Biden team launched products for players of Animal Crossing: New horizons, and later that fall designed an entire in-game island for players to visit.

“We hope this tool will bring the inaugural experience to young Americans wherever they are and share it with friends and family,” Tom said in a statement of the upcoming goal.