Imagine turning casual Amazon browsers into loyal brand advocates. It’s every eCommerce marketer’s dream — shoppers who search not just for any old product, but for your brand’s product.
The question is, how can you stand out and drive loyalty? Video has emerged as a powerful tool for brands to tell their unique story, and there are more ways than ever to use video in Amazon advertising.
Let’s explore how video can help you cultivate long-term customer relationships on Amazon, and then take a look at some of our favorite examples.
Building a Brand Story with Video Content on Amazon
To rise to the top in eCommerce, simply listing products is no longer enough. Amidst fierce competition, you can’t afford to neglect brand building. Without a compelling brand story, you risk getting lost in a sea of other sellers and losing sales to the next competitor who undercuts you.
Your brand story helps you achieve two goals: acquire and retain.
First, eye-catching videos that tell your story build brand awareness. They help you stand out to shoppers, earning their attention and dollars.
Second, a memorable story helps you turn those shoppers into loyal customers. Trevon Heath, Head of Growth at Sequence Commerce, explains during our recent session, Cash In On Content:
“You’re building a story, you’re building a way to connect to the actual end user so when they go back on Amazon they’re not typing in the keyword, they’re typing in the brand name to go find that product again. That’s the way to long-term LTV and long-term conversion.”
In the unique world of Amazon, “build it and profits will follow” is no longer viable. Sellers need a specialized approach to maximize ROI.
“The one key way to differentiate,” Trevon says, “is through your content. Competitors aren’t able to encapsulate the brand story you have.”
To hear the whole conversation, watch The Amazon Profit Playbook: Cashing in on Content and Conversion Rates.
Benefits of Video Ads
Creating video assets can be resource intensive, so why invest in this ad format? Brand building with video leads to four key benefits:
- Increased conversion rate. Research by Nexcess showed that video content on eCommerce sites can increase conversion rates by up to 80%.
- Higher quality traffic. Shoppers who engage with video ads are often further along in the buying process, looking for specific details on specific products.
- Brand loyalty. Video builds your brand and helps you connect with new and existing customers.
- Reduced ACoS. High-quality traffic and increased conversion rates make video ads a cost-effective way to earn new customers.
Types of Amazon Ads with Video
If you’re new to the Amazon Demand Side Platform (DSP), here’s a quick rundown on the different types of Amazon video ads and how they work.
Sponsored Brands Video Ads
These videos autoplay within Amazon’s marketplace search results as well as product detail pages. They’re a great opportunity to build your brand story.
Sponsored Display Video Ads
These can appear on the Amazon homepage and detail pages, as well as other websites within Amazon’s network. Think of them as functioning more like traditional display ads. The audience is in-market, but not necessarily looking to make a purchase at that moment.
Streaming TV Ads
These full-screen, non-skippable videos appear before, during, or after streaming content like TV shows and movies. This placement is for larger brands with significant budgets of a minimum $50,000 per ad campaign.
Online Video Ads
These are similar to sponsored display videos, but with broader placement possibilities. They can appear in-stream (before, during, or after streaming video content) or out-stream (in sidebars, between paragraphs of text).
Sponsored TV Ads
This option allows brands of any size to reach customers via streaming TV content. It’s a self-service option with no minimum spend.
Amazon Live Ads
These live shopping experiences let customers watch influencers and experts explore and showcase your products.
Best Practices for Amazon Video Ads
You don’t have to produce a cinematic masterpiece, but there are some best practices that will help you create high-impact Amazon sponsored brands video ads.
- Highlight customer pain points. Then show how your product solves them.
- Preemptively handle objections. Anticipate and address common concerns to build trust and help shoppers through their buying journey.
- Lean into storytelling. Immerse the viewer in your story while highlighting your unique selling points.
- Keep it short. Information near the end of a longer video can be missed, so keep your spot short and frontload the crucial details.
- Display your branding. Include your brand logo and give viewers a clear CTA.
- Optimize for mobile. Keep in mind that many viewers will be seeing logos, graphics, and text on their phone.
- Keep audio optional. Videos autoplay without sound, and most viewers won’t turn it on. Rely on text and visual storytelling.
9 Examples of Amazon Video Ads to Inspire You
Let’s jump right into the inspo. These ad examples mainly feature Sponsored Brands placements, which appear within search results or on a product detail page. However, this creative would also work well in display or online video placements. The same best practices and principles apply — it’s all about capturing attention and then nailing the messaging.
If you’re interested in exploring the Amazon Live option, check out the bonus example at the end of the list.
1. Shark Smart Vacuum
A little girl’s science experiment goes awry. Luckily, mom tackles the mess without leaving her chair using the Shark AI robot vacuum.
What it does right:
- Incredible storytelling that resonates with parents
- Demonstrates the product’s convenience in a relatable scenario
This video is a masterclass in storytelling. If you’re a parent, you know what it’s like to watch your child create chaos in your home. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could push a button and have a robot clean up while you enjoy your coffee?
2. First Aid Beauty Moisturizer
A few different customers use and review the moisturizer in a vertical, TikTok-style video format.
What it does right:
- Harnesses, or at least mimics, user-generated content (UGC)
- Mobile-friendly captions make audio optional
Nothing screams “focused on the customer” more than literally showcasing customers in your ad creative. The UGC in this video ad helps the target audience envision themselves using the product.
3. Forager Project Super Greens Chips
Stop-motion animation shows leafy greens dancing into a bag of Super Greens chips.\
What it does right:
- Simple, effective visual representation of the product
- Focused messaging with the tagline, “All the crunch, none of the guilt”
This ad has its target audience nailed. The simple nature of the video resonates with an audience who prefers, well… simplicity. There’s no question about it — eating these chips is basically like eating a salad.
4. Chef iQ Pressure Cooker
A sleek, modern video features the Chef iQ pressure cooker’s technology, touch screen, and app.
What it does right:
- Highlights advanced technology for tech-savvy consumers
- Doesn’t try to be everything to everyone
This spot brings the drama. This isn’t your mom’s pressure cooker. It’s for the early adopters, the smart home fanatics. If your motto is “give me all the bells and whistles,” this is the appliance for you.
5. Microdry Yoga Mat
A woman uses a yoga mat in a variety of different ways. Simple, right? Yet there’s so much this video does well.
What it does right:
- Addresses pain points with other yoga mats
- Features the logo both on screen and on the product
This video highlights all the ways this yoga mat is better than the one you have. Your mat slips around? Ours doesn’t. Yours could be a bit cushier? What, like ours? Oh, your yoga mat has developed a smell? Bet you wish it was infused with charcoal — like ours.
6. Hewolf Tent
A man shows viewers how to pitch the tent, and then pack it away again.
What it does right:
- Focuses on a singular key selling point
- Addresses potential concerns about refolding
- Logo everywhere: in the corner, on the bag, on the tent itself, at the end
This product has a singular selling point: its easy-pitch design. The video does right by staying focused. They also get ahead of objections by answering the question, “Fine, but is it hard to fold up?” No, it’s not — and we’ll show you right now.
7. Dynamic Gear Knee Brace
A man plays a casual game of basketball when, unfortunately, he’s interrupted by knee pain.
What it does right:
- Immerses the viewer in a relatable situation: having fun and suddenly experiencing pain
- Eye-catching captions “twist the knife” on this (literal) pain point
This ad taps into the viewer’s emotions. We love how it highlights some of the product’s features, but stays focused on the overarching benefit — getting back in the game.
8. New Bounce Play Set
An adorable toddler climbs on the playset. Later, a parent wipes it clean and attaches pieces together.
What it does right:
- Compares product benefits to potential alternatives
- Eye-catching captions highlight key features, working for mobile users and those without audio
This video lays out all the pain points customers have likely experienced with other similar play couches, and then shows how the New Bounce set is different.
9. Bonus: JanSport Amazon Live Collaboration with Trisha Hershberger
If you have an influencer network already or are considering expanding yours, look no further than Amazon Live. In this example, influencer Trisha Hershberger goes through a variety of back to school essentials focusing on what kids need in their backpacks.
What it does right:
- Prioritizes product placement near beginning of stream
- Targets highly engaged, in-market audience
Trisha highlights the JanSport bag first thing, meaning more people will see it before dropping off the stream. Audience quality is also a huge advantage here. We can’t see how many viewers tuned into Trisha’s stream, but whatever the number, you can bet they were engaged and in-market for a new backpack.
For more best-in-class examples and cutting-edge insights, subscribe to our monthly newsletter, The Climb.
Video Ads: Your Key to Success on Amazon
Video ads have become an essential tool to drive long-term profitability on Amazon.
For example, at Trellis, our team worked with a brand in the health and beauty space to drive conversions across a wide range of tight-margin products while keeping ACoS and other profitability metrics low. A big part of this effort was bringing these products to life through video content.
Using Trellis’s built-in video editor, the brand streamlined video creation using existing assets like Amazon product videos and product images to create video across their product lines by simply selecting a pre-built style.Sound too good to be true? Give it a try yourself. You can create, launch, and optimize Sponsored Brands video creative in seconds. Get started in our Brand Video Ads Center.