Despite being available only since 2016, Bitmoji creator Bitstrips is turning 15 this week, and Snap’s celebrating the milestone with some new insights into Bitmoji adoption and usage in the app. As Snap outlines:
“Born in Toronto, Canada in 2007, the personalized comic strip builder called Bitstrips made it possible for anyone to express ideas in a fun, creative storytelling format. Years later, Bitstrips evolved into Bitmoji, which is now used by over 250 million people every day and is an integral part of how the Snapchat community expresses and represents themselves with friends and family.”
Happy 15th
Do you even remember Bitstrips? Back when they took off, Bitstrips, which were simple, customizable comics, dominated Facebook and laid the foundation for the 3D versions of the same that are available as custom Bitmoji characters on Snap. Bitmojis have since become a key element of the Snap experience, with more than a billion avatars created. In fact, Snap says that 85% of the 13-24 Gen Z population in the US have a Bitmoji avatar.
To be fair, Snap did kind of push people to make one, so perhaps those figures aren’t fully indicative of Bitmoji interest or engagement. Snap has provided other numbers to help underline the presence of Bitmojis in the app. The virtual clothing elements have become a key focus as of late, with Snap looking to merge Bitmoji characters into the next stage, as people seek digital representations of themselves that they can use in various forms, such as in the Metaverse.
While the Metaverse itself is still mainly a theoretical concept, the idea is built around the use of virtual character depictions that we can use to interact with other digital elements within a dedicated virtual space – Bitmojis would likely fit the bill in many respects. Of course, we don’t know if and when we’ll reach a point where we have a fully interoperable and seamless Metaverse space, but that’s the broader vision. Bitmoji characters could well become an even more important element in online engagement in the future.
That’s the reason why customizable clothing elements are important – as Snap notes, there are already over a trillion possible in-app outfit combinations available for your Bitmoji. This could eventually facilitate a virtual marketplace, as well as an all-new revenue stream for Snap and clothing retailers. That’s going to be a big opportunity in the virtual space, and Snap’s now looking to evolve Bitmoji into that next stage.
The Wrap
To celebrate Bitmoji’s 15-year milestone, Snap’s also running a #BitmojiChallenge Spotlight challenge. More specifically:
“Show us a ‘day in the life’ of you and your Bitmoji with the chance to win up to $3,500. To participate, visit the Trending Page on the Spotlight tab, select #BitmojiChallenge and tap the camera icon. From there, create and submit!”
It’s interesting to see how much Bitmojis have developed and how Snap’s now looking to take them to the next level; towards the next big digital shift.
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