The trailer, for horror film Ouija, marks the first time that the app has been paid to post content. Another picture-based social media app, Instagram, launched UK ads last month, around a year after sponsored content started appearing on US Instagram feeds.

Snapchat is a photo messaging app that allows users to send photos, videos and text messages to recipients with a time limit of how long they can be viewed for (between one and 10 seconds). According to research released earlier this year, the app appeals most to female users of 24 and under.

In a blog post on Snapchat’s website, the company insisted that it wouldn’t introduce advertisements into personal communications such as ‘Snaps’ or ‘Chats’. It added that the motivations behind the move were purely financial.

“Understandably, a lot of folks want to know why we’re introducing advertisements to our service,” the post read. “The answer is probably unsurprising – we need to make money. Advertising allows us to support our service while delivering neat content to Snapchatters.

“We promise that we’ll use the money we make to continue to surprise the Snapchat community with more terrific products – that’s what we love to do!”