The new social distancing rules are a tricky one to not only enforce, but also execute in your daily life. How far actually is two metres? Is this pavement wide enough? Who’s going to step into the road first? And what about avoiding the runners, whizzing past your ear every evening, too close for comfort even at the best of times?

To try and help people navigate the distancing guidelines, We Are Social developed Snap Safe, a new Snapchat AR lens that helps people to stay two metres apart. The lens uses proximity augmented reality technology to show people how far away they need to be when out and about during lockdown.

The idea was developed in answer to the United Nation’s ‘Call to Creatives’, asking the creative industries to devise and design creative solutions to navigate the global pandemic. The UN asked that teams communicate six key messages, one of which was the importance of physical distancing while out in public.

The lens has been designed to resemble the bold yellow and black imagery of traditional warning signs and physical safety barriers. If a person steps too close, a message flashes up on the screen with the words ‘STAY BACK. SAVE LIVES’ on the screen.

This kind of technological creativity, an idea imagined and turned around in a matter of days since the UN’s announcement, is testament to the team involved. While We Are Social were developing the lens, Snapchat were busy creating a similar tool in partnership with the World Health Organisation. But as Gareth Leeding, Executive Creative Director at the agency says, “the more tools we have in the fight against Covid-19, the better.”