Amazon Video Ads: Complete Guide (Plus 10 Examples)

Written by: Jemma Melvin
Last updated: June 12, 2024
Approx reading time:

Last updated on 9th February 2024

Video can be a hugely compelling tool in influencing buyer behaviour. Just take this stat for example…

Statistic
A massive 88% of people say that they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video. 

So, why should Amazon video ads be any different? 

We’re not just talking about any old website here. Amazon is as big as it gets: the site was responsible for a whopping 37.6% of all eCommerce spending in the US in 2023, ahead of second-placed Walmart with just 6.4%.

So if you’re selling anything – it makes sense to get in front of the audience on Amazon.

But how does video advertising look on Amazon? What are your options? What should you do – and definitely NOT do?

In this article we’ll take a look!

The different types of Amazon video ads

Amazon provides a variety of video advertising options designed to meet the needs of different advertisers, ranging from those with extensive advertising experience to those just starting out. Here’s an overview of the main types of video ads available on Amazon.

Sponsored Display Video Ads

Part of the Sponsored Display advertising solution, these video ads allow brands to showcase their products through immersive video content directly on Amazon and other online locations. This format is especially great for small and emerging brands, giving them an easy way to create and deploy video campaigns that show thier products in action, such as tutorials, demos, unboxings, and testimonials.

Pros: Accessibility: Ideal for advertisers of all sizes, especially beneficial for small and emerging brands.
Ease of Use: Advertisers can easily create video campaigns to showcase their products, without needing extensive resources or a large budget.
Versatility: Suitable for a variety of video content, including tutorials, product demos, unboxings, and testimonials.
Cons: Limited Creative Control: While templates and tools simplify the creation process, they may limit creative control compared to fully custom video productions.
Competition: Given its accessibility, brands might face stiff competition for viewer attention within this ad format.

Streaming TV Ads

These are full-screen, non-skippable video ads that appear before, during, or after streaming content. They’re typically delivered across a range of devices, including desktop, mobile, and connected TVs, ensuring broad reach. Streaming TV ads are available on Amazon-owned properties like Amazon Freevee and Twitch, as well as in content streamed on third-party apps available on Fire TV.

Pros: Broad Reach: Delivers ads across a wide audience, including viewers on Amazon Freevee, Twitch, and third-party apps on Fire TV.
Engagement: Full-screen, non-skippable format can lead to higher engagement rates as viewers are more likely to watch the entire ad.
High-Quality Environment: Ads are placed before, during, or after premium streaming content, associating your brand with high-quality programming.
Cons: Higher Cost: Production and placement costs for streaming TV ads can be higher than other formats, possibly making them less accessible for smaller brands.
Limited Flexibility: Non-skippable format and placement within premium content require high-quality, engaging ads, which may demand more substantial creative and production investment.

Online Video Ads

These ads are designed to reach audiences across Amazon-owned sites (like IMDb and Twitch) and the broader web through third-party publisher sites. Online video ads can appear in-stream (before, during, or after other video content) or out-stream (in non-video environments, such as between paragraphs of text or in image galleries) and are optimized for desktop, mobile, and tablet viewing.

Pros: Flexibility: Ads can appear in-stream and out-stream across Amazon-owned and third-party sites, providing versatile placement options.
Cost-Effectiveness: May offer a more cost-effective solution for reaching audiences online, with the potential for a lower cost per engagement compared to premium options like Streaming TV ads.
Broad Audience Reach: Ability to reach audiences not only on Amazon but across the web, expanding the potential viewer base.
Cons: Cons:
Viewer Attention: Out-stream placements may be less engaging than in-stream ads, as they might not command the full attention of the viewer.
Ad Blockers: Online video ads may be subject to ad blocking software, potentially reducing their reach and effectiveness.

Prime Video Ads

With the introduction of advertising on Prime Video this year (2024), brands now have the opportunity to engage with the platform’s vast and engaged audience through ad placements alongside premium content. This includes exclusive series, live sports, and a wide range of entertainment options. Prime Video ads aim to provide high-quality content that resonates with viewers, supported by the platform’s commitment to creating an enjoyable viewing experience.

Pros: Premium Audience: Access to a highly engaged audience that’s already invested in the content they’re watching, including exclusive series and live sports.
Quality Association: Being associated with premium content on Prime Video can enhance brand perception and credibility.
High Visibility: Ads on Prime Video are likely to have high visibility given the platform’s popularity and the quality of its content.
Cons:
Cost: Likely to be the most expensive advertising option on Amazon due to the premium nature of the platform and its content.
Ad Selection: Amazon may have stringent criteria for ad acceptance on Prime Video, requiring ads to meet high-quality standards.

Each of these advertising options comes with its own set of features designed to help advertisers reach their target audience effectively. Whether you’re looking to demonstrate product features, boost brand awareness, or drive conversions, Amazon’s video advertising solutions offer the flexibility and reach to achieve your marketing goals.

Amazon video ads specs and dimensions

Amazon has a set of recommendations for video ads appearing on the platform.

Their recommended video dimensions are 1920 x 1080px with a file size of less than 500 MB and a recommended 16:9 ratio. Videos displaying on desktop and mobile can be up to 3 minutes – but 15 seconds or less is ‘highly recommended.’ For videos displaying on Fire Tablet, 15 seconds is the maximum duration.

Amazon also requires you to account for their video players ‘safe areas.’  This means you need to ensure you are fully compliant with their required border and play/pause button location.

Amazon video ads guidelines

As well as recommended dimensions and file sizes, your video needs to stick to a few rules. Such as:

  1. Don’t use slang– very informal language won’t pass the Amazon test, so stick to clear and consistent language.
  2. No price saving claims– to be on the safe side don’t mention price in your video ad. (Pricing will be displayed next to it anyway.)
  3. No pressuring language– video ads should be light hearted, this is not the time for a hard sell. 
  4. Keep them short– standard ads should be no longer than 15 seconds and only loop three times.
  5. Audio must be customer initiated– so, your ad must be muted unless a customer unmutes it. 

10 amazing Amazon video ads examples

1. Optimum Nutrition

This Amazon ad fits so much in such a short amount of time. With images of the product, videos of it in use and a social proof quote. 

Optimum Nutrition video ad on Amazon

2. Harringtons Pet Food

Harringtons pet food keeps their Amazon ad really simple, with text on screen portraying the most important information and showing a photo of the product. 

Harringtons Pet Foods video ad on Amazon

3. Sleek Makeup

Sitting alongside a full size image of the actual product, Sleek uses a simple mixture of images and text on screen to convince viewers to buy their brow product.

Sleek Makeup video ad on Amazon

4. Oral B

Oral B have approached their Amazon video ad just as they do their TV, so customers can instantly recognise their brand. They still show the actual product and use text on screen to affirm their message, so viewers can get a closer look at the product they are wanting to buy. 

Oral B video ad on Amazon

5. Shardor

Now, talk about seeing a product in action! Shardor use their Amazon video ad to show their hand mixer in its full glory, mixed in with hero shots of the product. 

Shardor video ad on Amazon

6. Sage Appliances

Sage appliances use a punchy mixture of text on screen and video footage in their ad. Customers can see exactly what it’ll be like to use the product and those slow motion shots of coffee could convince anyone to buy!

Sage Appliances video ad on Amazon

7. Hydroflask

Pure taste, lifetime guarantee and dishwasher safe, all the best selling points are presented to us in this Amazon video ad for Hydroflask. The pacing is great, and the shots of inside the bottle give a real look at the product for prospective buyers.

Hydroflask video ad on Amazon

8. Garnier

Garnier mirrors the images we know of them from their ad campaigns with their Amazon video ad. Showing actual results of the hair dye, alongside stylish shots of ingredients, this ad is very convincing.

Garnier video ad on Amazon

9. Bic

Simple, but effective, Bic shows the pens in action and the variety that you can buy. For a well known, established brand this is all they need to do!

Bic video ad on Amazon

10. Panasonic  

When making a big value purchase like a camera, customers will probably want as much information as possible. Panasonic manage to fit a lot of that information into this short Amazon video ad. With text on screen and the product in action in a variety of settings, if they weren’t convinced before, they will be now!

Panasonic video ad on Amazon

Conclusion

In the huge space that is Amazon, your products can need that extra helping hand when it comes to convincing customers to buy. Amazon video ads can give you that edge!

If you’re looking to create a video ad, look no further than Wyzowl. Take a look at some of our latest video ads.

Written by <a href="https://www.wyzowl.com/author/jemmamelvin/" target="_self">Jemma Melvin</a>

Written by Jemma Melvin

Jemma is Senior Copywriter for Wyzowl. She writes client scripts and longer form articles about video marketing. She has a wealth of knowldge on all things video.
Attract Book

How to attract your audience with video

In a noisy, easily-distracted world, successful brands need to grab attention, share information, and generate enough interest and excitement so that their audience can’t wait to find out more. In this book we explain how to use video as a tool to reach, engage and attract your audience at the perfect time.

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