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Remote possibilities are becoming a reality thanks to Amazon‘s new ad formats.
Top line
Ahead of its upfront presentation May 14, Amazon Ads is announcing an expanded suite of interactive and shoppable ad formats for Prime Video with remote-enabled capabilities.
The new formats include shoppable carousel ads, pause ads and brand trivia ads.
Between the lines
The shoppable carousel ads are designed to make it easier for viewers to browse and shop multiple related products on Amazon during ad breaks in shows and movies on Prime Video.
According to the company, in this format, brands can present a sliding lineup of products that viewers can add to their cart using most remotes. In addition, the ad pauses so that customers can interact, resuming play once the interaction has stopped.
Meanwhile, interactive pause and brand trivia ads will run across Prime Video TV shows, movies and live sports.
Like other interactive pause ads in the marketplace, viewers can receive brand messaging during Amazon’s new offering. When viewers hit pause on the remote, they will see a translucent ad featuring brand messaging and imagery, along with creative overlays displaying “Add to Cart” and “Learn More.” Customers can add the product to their Amazon carts or get more information using their remotes.
Additionally, interactive brand trivia ads entertain viewers with brand facts while also providing the opportunity to shop on Amazon, learn more info or unlock rewards. Again, the remote can add a product to a viewer’s cart, get more info via email and claim rewards such as Amazon shopping credits.
“Amazon Ads continues to reimagine the streaming TV experience with interactive ad formats that are seamlessly shoppable and help advertisers meaningfully connect with customers,” Alan Moss, vice president, global ads sales for Amazon Ads, said in a statement. “We are developing innovative experiences to help brands better engage with customers as we work to transform streaming advertising through our differentiated combination of reach, first-party signals and ad tech.”
Moss added that ads in Prime Video look to deliver on full-funnel marketing objectives, whether those are for awareness, consideration or conversion.
“Amazon’s engagement with consumers throughout the funnel is unique,” Geoffrey Calabrese, chief investment officer for Omnicom Media Group North America, said. “With the ad innovations we are seeing from inside of their streaming offering, our clients are now able to test and learn at scale the true power of streaming TV.”
Prime Video’s ad tier launched in January, automatically enrolling more than 100 million customers and allowing them to upgrade out of the tier for an additional $2.99 per month.
The new interactive formats build on the company’s initial offerings, which included standard 15-second and 30-second preroll and midroll ads.
Bottom line
Amazon’s announcements add to the bevy of tech updates coming from video and tech companies heading into the upfront as publishers vie for coveted TV ad budgets.
In addition to Prime Video’s ad updates, NBCUniversal recently announced that Peacock would bring programmatic ads to its Olympic Games coverage. Plus, Paramount revealed partnerships with EDO and Mastercard for enhanced measurement transparency.
