Amazon’s New Prime Ads Aim to Take Streamers Shopping

Amazon wants to break down the barriers between watching TV and driving to the mall.

The streaming giant on Tuesday unveiled a new suite of interactive ad formats it is making available for sponsors of its Prime Video subscription-video service. All of them spur viewers to shop for an advertiser’s products during breaks in their viewing.

“Amazon Ads continues to re-imagine the streaming TV experience with interactive ad formats that are seamlessly shoppable and help advertisers meaningfully connect with customers,” said Alan Mos vice president of global ad sales for Amazon Ads, 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.”

The company debuted so-called “shoppable” formats just days ahead of its first showcase to advertisers during the industry’s “upfront,” when U.S. TV networks try to sell the bulk of their commercial inventory ahead of their next cycle of programming. Amazon will have a significant amount of inventory to sell; earlier this year, it launched a new ad-supported tier of Prime that is now the default setting for all subscribers, unless they opt to pay a small fee to avoid commercials entirely.

Amazon, which has offered interactive video ads since 2021, joins a parade of media companies hoping to use streaming to cajole consumers to make purchases as they watch TV. NBCUniversal’s Peacock has already struck a partnership with Instacart that allows viewers to shop for groceries and other consumer goods, and has technology in place that asks subscribers if they’d like to order food or drink ahead of a movie or sporting event, and aims to use the Olympics to bring it to wider attention.

The new interactive ads show up during commercial breaks or when a viewer opts to pause their streaming.

In one “carousel” format, an advertiser can show off multiple products with a “sliding lineup” that customers can explore via Amazon’s giant e-commerce site and also purchase via most living-room remotes. The ad will automatically pause so customers can browse at their leisure, and resumes when interaction with the format ceases.

Amazon will also introduce its own version of a “pause ad,” or ads that surface on screen when a viewers chooses to stop the action or take a break. New translucent graphics will offer a message and images, along with clickable overlays that allow one to “Add to Cart” or “Learn More.”

Interactive “Trivia ads” offer viewers facts about the brand while offering a chance to click to shop or learn more about the product being promoted. Some offers will give customers the chance to claim rewards such as Amazon shopping credits that come with a completed purchase of specific items.