Dive Brief:

• Instagram, with its 300 million active users, launched a new companion app Layout Monday, and brands wasted little time testing it. 
• Brands like Victoria's Secret and Sephora experimented with the app almost immediately, as well as First Lady Michelle Obama. 
• The companion app allows users the ability to easily create photo collages, including a Photo Booth button that takes timed photos and organizes them in a layout. 

Models + puppies = way too much cuteness!! #NationalPuppyDay

A photo posted by Victoria's Secret (@victoriassecret) on Mar 23, 2015 at 11:33am PDT

The stages of complete highlighting and contouring! It's important to understand where to place the lights and darks in order to bring out your favorite facial features and define them while minimizing your not-so-favorite areas. You can choose to go with a softer approach for a natural subtle look, or go heavy like this for a high-glam version, it's all up to your preference and what's suited for the occasion! Isn't the magic of contour just mind-blowingly amazing?! I’d love to see your contouring ‘war paint’, tag pics with #ContouringMagic so we can all see! xo ~ @DressYourFace #SephoraTakeover

A photo posted by Sephora (@sephora) on Mar 23, 2015 at 11:29am PDT

Dive Insight: 

Brands are eager to experiment with any new features Instagram introduces because the app has proven effective in reaching users. Unlike rivals Facebook and Pinterest, a post on Instagram is guaranteed to appear in users' feeds—an attractive quality for brands. Many other apps have similar photo collage features, but the appeal of an Instagram-created app could push those others aside. Just like the Hyperlapse feature, Layout is sure to be tested out quickly by brands.