Snapchat Creative Director Snapchat David Norris has hailed the mobile camera as “the fastest way to communicate” and the driving force behind 170m people engaging with AR content daily on the platform.

“Cameras are getting smarter and faster, the experiences it can layer on for someone onto their real world is changing the game,”  said Norris, who was speaking at MAD//Fest and New Digital Age’s 99 Club Digital Festival.

“There’s talk around AR being an experiment… Actually it’s being done at a huge scale. There are 4bn snaps per day but 170m people are engaging with AR daily. People are using the camera kind of like a keyboard; they’re using it for experience, they’re using it for entertainment and for utility. Think of the potential for utility and experience and the genuine way to actually connect with your audience through the camera.”

When asked about AR’s storytelling potential, Norris said: “AR is storytelling is underused. The familiarity that users have with AR and capability to extend and deepen a brand story is such a huge opportunity. With AR, you know people are going to play, participate and engage with it. It’s an immensely powerful opportunity for brands of all kinds to embrace.”

Featuring speakers including Ogilvy Vice-chair Rory Sutherland, Starling Bank Chief Growth Officer Rachael Pollard, authors Bruce Daisley and Sam Conniff, and futurists Adah Parris and Shivvy Jervis, the 99//Club Digital Festival featured 99 industry leaders speaking for just 99 seconds over 5 days and 3,400 attendees.

Click here to watch the daily sessions.