Max Launches New AI-Powered Shoppable Ads Ahead of Black Friday

Warner Bros. Discovery is looking to Max-imize its shoppable ads with new AI-powered formats. Ahead of Black Friday, Warner Bros. Discovery Advertising Sales is announcing two new ad solutions for shoppable, including Moments and Shop with Max, which work in unison to create a more seamless ad experience. According to the company, the new formats integrate KERV’s AI-enhanced tech into WBD's adtech platform, creating more contextually relevant advertising and allowing brands to better engage with audiences. Ryan Gould, head of digital ad sales for Warner Bros. Discovery, explained that the company hinted at advanced, contextual shopping products during its upfront presentation in May, and a Q4 launch was always the plan. "This time of year, people think about shopping, commerce, so we would agree that the timing is ideal," Gould said. "And we've also been able to scale Max with ads and partner with brands, and we've got a lot of brand partners and agency partners that are really comfortable with the property and the value proposition." Finding the right Moments Gould explained Moments are contextually relevant themes and topics designed to align with an advertiser's message across the Max portfolio. Powered by KERV’s AI technology, Moments is able to use audio and visual cues to identify relevant themes, sentiment, and on-screen elements. These Moment categories could include everything from cooking to real estate to gaming and more, with subcategories getting even more specific for episodic-level precision and scalable distribution. To achieve this, the company was able to scan and catalog more than 31,000 hours across 3,000 titles and 10,000 episodes to create 186 million data signals, according to Gould, ultimately using machine learning and AI to target relevant themes to create positive advertiser alignment and keep away from sensitive themes or topics within TV-MA and R-Rated content. "If you look at a show like Friends, the way that we would sell it from a story-driven lens before would be 'Scripted Comedy.' But now, we can look at moments in Friends of celebration and festivities, family life and parenting, cooking, music, sports, travel," Gould said. "There's so much depth to how we can bring brands into the Friends experience now with Moments, and we can do this across our catalog." Taking shoping to the Max Moments can go hand-in-hand with Shop with Max, which utilizes AI to identify items within television shows and films and pair them with related items in an advertiser’s catalog via a QR code, taking consumers to a second screen and allowing them to purchase without interrupting the viewing experience. Additionally, a mobile shop offers a selection of products inspired by the content being watched and connected to the advertiser’s website. Explaining how the offerings will appear to viewers, Gould noted that Wayfair is already utilizing the formats as a presenting sponsor for Food Network's Holiday Baking Championship. In addition to upfront messaging noting that Wayfair is provided a limited advertising shopping experience in the show, Gould said viewers can "essentially shop the show." Pausing the show can bring up a catalog of Wayfair products, which are contextually relevant and identified by the metadata from objects in the show. Meanwhile, a midroll ad will highlight products and offer a QR code for a second-screen experience. Gould noted brand safety was built into the ad experience. For instance, travel advertisers won't have to worry about showing up in shows or movies that depict travel disasters, and car dealers won't be showcasing their wares around Max's The Penguin after someone gets stuffed in a trunk. "We definitely have the ability to only target into brand-suitable moments," Gould said. Max isn't the first streamer rolling out contextually-based shoppable advertising. For instance, Peacock announced it was using KERV's tech for its Must ShopTV offering in 2023. However, Gould noted that the breadth, depth, and scale of Max's offering sets it apart. According to Gould, the company not only utilizes KERV's tech but has built proprietary ad products on top of it, all the while leveraging its content library for precise targeting. "What sets us apart is the scalability of it, matched with the premium nature of our content environment," Gould said. "What we hammer home is a seamless ad experience that doesn't detract from the viewing experience."

TV Upfronts

Max Launches New AI-Powered Shoppable Ads Ahead of Black Friday

Warner Bros. Discovery teased contextual ads at its upfront presentation in May

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