New augmented reality Snapchat Lens launched by Bolt to help reimagine urban spaces with fewer cars

Credit: Bolt/ Snap

Global mobility company Bolt has partnered with Snapchat to create a new Lens that gives every person the power to reimagine their city by visualising urban spaces with fewer cars in real time using augmented reality (AR). 

The new Lens, which is called P.E.O.P.L.E., recognises parked cars and turns them into environments built for people, such as outdoor cafés, cycling lanes and green spaces, and is available to millions of Snapchat users worldwide. 

The Lens forms part of Bolt’s newest pan-European brand campaign, Feels Like Home, which encourages people to aspire towards better urban environments with less traffic emissions and congestion by highlighting how cities should feel like an extension of your living room, rather than a space for cars. 

As urban populations grow and cities battle with rising transport emissions and congestion, shared mobility can help people to switch away from using private cars by increasing connectivity to public transport and catering to people’s different mobility needs. 

A recent consumer survey from McKinsey found that nearly 50% of people are willing to swap private cars for different transport in the next decade, and almost 30% aim to use micro-mobility or shared mobility more in the coming decade. Bolt’s research also confirms that 63% of people believe that shared mobility (ride-hailing, e-scooters, e-bikes, and car sharing) decreases the necessity for owning private cars.

Liisa Ennuste, a creative strategist at Bolt, said: “For decades, cities have prioritised cars over pedestrians, bikes and scooters. This is reflected in the space distribution in cities where more than 60% of urban areas are reserved for cars instead of pedestrians and infrastructure for more environmentally friendly modes of transport. 

“Many cities have realised that and are moving away from a car-first mindset by building cycling roads, supporting micro-mobility and turning parking spaces into small parklets. Our collaboration with Snapchat is a reminder of how cities can be improved by creating more spaces for people, not cars.” 

In addition to the Snapchat app, the Feels Like Home campaign will be activated across other channels, including social media and OOH. 

Feels Like Home is the latest Bolt campaign which highlights the potential for cities to be improved if more urban space was devoted to people and infrastructure for shared mobility options like ride-hailing, e-scooters and e-bikes, which reduce the need for owning a private car. 

In past campaigns like Cities For People, Not Cars, Bolt has highlighted how urban environments have been transformed, showcasing historic photos of European landmarks filled with cars and newer photos from the same locations showing fewer cars and more space for people.