Prime Video to launch three new ad formats

Delhi: Amazon has announced plans to introduce three new ad formats on its Prime Video streaming service, featuring remote-enabled capabilities for living-room devices, expanding beyond traditional QR codes.

In the upcoming broadcast year, brands can use shoppable carousel ads to help viewers browse and shop multiple product variations on Amazon during ad breaks in shows and movies on Prime Video. Brands can also use interactive pause and brand trivia ads in Prime Video TV shows, movies, and live sports.

However, these ad formats are not available in India.

Details on the new interactive and shoppable formats for advertisers include:

• Shoppable carousel ads, which make it easy for customers to browse and shop multiple related products on Amazon during ad breaks on Prime Video. Brands can present a sliding lineup of their products that customers can explore on Amazon and add to their cart using most living-room remotes. The ad automatically pauses so that customers can browse, and automatically resumes play when ad interaction has stopped.
• Interactive pause ads, which enable customers to discover and engage with brands when they decide to pause the show or movie they’re streaming. When viewers press pause on their living-room remote, they will see a translucent ad featuring brand messaging and imagery, along with an “Add to Cart” and “Learn More” creative overlay. These ads extend the engagement opportunity beyond a traditional ad break, as the interactive overlay is available to customers for as long as the content is paused. With a click of their remote, customers can easily add the product to their Amazon cart, get more information sent to their email, and resume their stream at any time.
• Interactive brand trivia ads, which help advertisers elevate their storytelling by entertaining customers with factoids about their brand while giving them the opportunity to shop on Amazon, learn more about services and products, and even unlock rewards. Customers can use their living-room remote to add a product to their cart, request information via email, and claim rewards like Amazon shopping credits with the purchase of eligible items.

“Amazon Ads continues to reimagine the streaming TV experience with interactive ad formats that are seamlessly shoppable and help advertisers meaningfully connect with customers,” said Alan Moss, vice president of global ad sales for Amazon Ads. “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. Ads in Prime Video provide an unparalleled experience for advertisers to deliver on any full-funnel marketing objective—whether it’s awareness, consideration, or conversion.”

Amazon also offers an ad-free version of Prime Video for an additional $2.99 per month, yet its ad-supported tier remains popular, reaching over 200 million customers globally each month. 

Amazon Ads first introduced interactive video ads using TV remotes in 2021 and has continued to expand the format across the majority of its streaming TV portfolio, including shows, movies, and live sports on Prime Video, Twitch, Fire TV Channels, and third-party streaming TV apps.