In first, Snapchat used as ad to oppose Iran deal

An organization opposing the nuclear deal with Iran is unveiling a new ad targeting a critical on-the-fence Democrat through Snapchat.

Secure America Now — which is seeking to kill the Iran deal when it comes up for a vote in Congress next month — is introducing a filter on the image message service targeting Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a key undecided vote.

Using the filter, Snapchat users will be able to take pictures within a frame surrounded by cartoon microphones, which spell out: “Tell Senator Cardin: No to the bad Iran deal!”

The ad appears to be the first time a Snapchat filter has been used to target a specific member of Congress on an issue and points to new avenues for political groups to get their message out.

“We believe this will be effective because it’s reaching young voters that aren’t normally reached,” said Josh Canter, a senior account executive at Harris Media who helped create the filter, in an email to The Hill. “These are people that don’t watch Fox News or CNN, but are on Snapchat multiple times per day.”

Cardin is an important target of lobbying from both sides of the Iran deal. While he has expressed some reservations with the agreement and “side-deals” that were signed between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency, he has so far declined to firmly state a position.

Republicans need all the help they can get to try and kill the deal.

After defections from Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) in recent days, GOP lawmakers will need the aid of at least four more Democrats to overcome a filibuster, assuming Republicans are united. They would need another six Democratic lawmakers to override a veto from the White House. 

The four-year-old Snapchat has become an incredibly popular messaging system for teenagers and twenty-somethings. It has also become a new battleground for media outlets and politicians, with forays from CNN, Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush and others.

The new filter will be available to anyone in Maryland.

“Snapchat creates a geo-fence around the state, and after you take a picture or record a video, you can swipe to add the filter and send to your friends,” Canter explained.

Details of the Snapchat filter were first reported by The Washington Post. 

— An error in Josh Canter’s name was corrected at 12:26 p.m.