Snapchat’s First Oscars Ad, Showcasing ASL Lenses, Was Inspired by Nominations for ‘CODA’ and ‘Audible’ (WATCH)

variety.com:

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorDuring ABC’s Academy Awards broadcast on March 27, Snap will air its first-ever Oscars TV spot, honoring the Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.

The ad shows people using Snapchat’s augmented-reality Lenses to learn American Sign Language.The ad (watch below) was inspired by the Oscar nominations for Apple Original Films’ “CODA” — the first motion picture starring a predominantly Deaf cast to receive a best picture nomination, and Troy Kotsur as the first Deaf male actor nominated in the supporting actor category — and the Oscar nod for Netflix’s “Audible,” which follows the journey of Maryland School for the Deaf high school athlete Amaree McKenstry-Hall, for documentary short subject.

The Snap spot shows people using the Snapchat app’s augmented-reality Lenses to learn how to fingerspell. Last year, Snapchat launched a series of Lenses that track hand movements to translate ASL into text.Snap’s 30-second Oscars spot highlights how the hand-tracking tech can help build bridges between Deaf and hard-of-hearing and hearing communities.

In addition, two 15-second spots will run on digital and social channels following the Oscars ceremony. (Disclosure: Snap also has taken out print ads for the campaign in Variety and the L.A.