In a move set to reshape advertising on streaming platforms, Amazon Ads announced the launch of three innovative interactive ad formats for its Connected TV (CTV) offerings on Prime Video in May 2025, as reported by Adweek. These new formats are designed to enhance viewer engagement and bridge the gap between content consumption and commerce. The first, AI-powered "pause ads," cleverly overlay contextually relevant advertisements when viewers pause their streaming content; for instance, an ad for beachwear might appear during a scene set in a summer show. The second innovation is "shoppable in-stream ads," which allow viewers to directly add products featured or related to the content to their Amazon shopping cart while continuing to stream, significantly shortening the purchase funnel. Finally, Amazon introduced "send-to-phone" ads, a feature particularly useful for non-Amazon products, where viewers can tap an on-screen prompt to receive more information or a purchase link directly on their mobile devices.

These cutting-edge ad units are strategically designed to transform natural streaming breaks and interactive moments into valuable engagement opportunities for brands. By leveraging Amazon’s vast repository of first-party product data and its advanced AI capabilities, these formats can intelligently match advertisements to the specific scene being viewed or the overall context of the show, enhancing relevance and reducing perceived intrusiveness. For marketers, this means brands can now engage streaming audiences with minimal disruption to their viewing experience, as ads appear during organic pauses or via seamlessly integrated interactive elements. The "add-to-cart" functionality of shoppable ads, in particular, drastically shortens the path from initial product viewing on a TV screen to actual purchase. Advertisers are encouraged to explore these new CTV campaign opportunities on Prime Video to capitalize on its massive audience of over 130 million monthly viewers and to benefit from Amazon’s sophisticated AI-driven targeting and contextual relevance capabilities, potentially unlocking significant new revenue streams and customer engagement channels.