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Mayor's Office Debuts First Snapchat Geofilter at East New York Town Hall

 The mayor's office debuted its first Snapchat geofilter at an East New York town hall on Thursday, featuring Councilman Rafael Espinal and Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The mayor's office debuted its first Snapchat geofilter at an East New York town hall on Thursday, featuring Councilman Rafael Espinal and Mayor Bill de Blasio.
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Snapchat/DNAinfo-Camille Bautista

What’s the mayor’s favorite filter?

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office unveiled its first geofilter on Snapchat on Thursday, debuting a custom-designed location tag on the photo and video-sharing app for a city-hosted East New York meeting.

Users of the app at P.S. 345 were able to apply a location-specific filter featuring cartoon versions of de Blasio holding a microphone and Councilman Rafael Espinal, who represents the area, with the words “EAST NEW YORK TOWN HALL” topping the screen in bright letters.

It’s the first time the administration has used a Snapchat filter for its events, according to Rob Bennett, director of creative communications for the mayor’s office, who said that custom geofilter use is on the rise.

“We are constantly looking to interact digitally with New Yorkers in whichever way they like, wherever they are,” Bennett said.

“We love East New York and the mayor’s doing a lot for the neighborhood, so it was the right time and place.”

The filter cost less than $20 to create, according to officials, and the debut was part of de Blasio’s mission to share “accurate, real-time information with New Yorkers in a creative, engaging way.”

There are plans to have more custom filters at future locations or events, Bennett said, if data shows that New Yorkers are into it.

Asked if de Blasio is on Snapchat, officials said they’re looking at a variety of ways to bring him to the platform as often as possible.

“We’re getting there,” Bennett said.  

Espinal, who says he’s still learning the app, said the geofilter was a great way to engage with audience members and viewers watching the town hall at home from their phones.

“Snapchat has been exploding as a social media platform and it was smart of the administration to find a creative way to get information out to a wider audience, especially on one of this administration’s hallmark issues,” Espinal added.

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