Meta Hires Snapchat’s Creator Connector in Wearables Push (Exclusive)

Jim Shepherd Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Snapchat

Don’t be surprised to see a lot more celebrities wearing Meta Ray-Bans, or creators filming original content using their glasses.

In a notable hire, Meta has brought on Jim Shepherd as director of content & creator partnerships, with a particular focus on Meta’s wearables business, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Shepherd joins Meta from Snapchat parent company Snap Inc., where he has been senior director of content partnerships, leading the company’s relationships with creator and celebrity talent, media, sports, and music as well as the company’s content strategy, editorial, and community efforts.

At Meta he is expected to leverage those relationships as the tech giant, which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, continues to build out its wearables business. Meta Ray-Bans have become a bona fide hit for the company, combining the classic sunglasses form factor with cameras and a built-in audio assistant. The company also recently launched Oakley Meta glasses.

A new Meta Ray-Ban with a built-in display is in the works, and reports suggest that the company is planning a slate of other wearable devices as well, meant to take advantage of the company’s built-in AI assistant technology.

Platforms, be they video-first platforms like TikTok or YouTube or broader social platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, have all developed extended creator partnerships teams, meant to encourage creators to post content and engage with users there. Even AI companies are getting into the game (perhaps with wearables in mind), with OpenAI hiring Instagram’s Charles Porch earlier this year.

Wearables are in some ways the next frontier. The built-in cameras on the smart glasses mean that they are perfect for capturing content, while the interactivity could lead to social elements developing over time.

Snap, where Shepherd joins Meta from, was the first company to explore the space with its Spectacles, which launches in 2016.