Amazon Streaming TV ad best practices and guidelines
These Amazon Streaming TV ad best practices were put together to help advertisers and production companies create high-quality video ads that resonate with audiences.
1. Define your goal
Before creating your video ad, define what you would like the video to accomplish. Video ads are a great way to build awareness for your brand. We found that brands who focused on building an emotional connection with viewers, such as showing how the product impacts day-to-day activities, saw greater audience engagement. It may be tempting to create an ad that accomplishes multiple objectives; however, doing so can leave customers confused and less likely to take the desired action.
2. Know your audience
When you’re creating your video ad, it’s important to understand who your audience is and what matters most to them. Your video ad should have a clear message based on your brand’s unique value propositions that resonate most with customers.
3. Tell a story
There are various storytelling types that can be used based on your campaign goal.
Below are just a few examples out of many storytelling possibilities:
- Customer impact/inspiration: These stories display how a product could positively impact viewers’ everyday lives, and focus on building an emotional connection with your brand by inspiring customers. What are the benefits? What feeling does your brand evoke?
- Example: Echo
- Set your brand apart: Show viewers why your brand and/or product(s) are unique from other competitors.
- Example: Ring
- Beauty shots: Showcase beautiful and captivating images or shots of your product that will grab the attention of viewers.
- Example: Amazon Fashion
4. Include a logo
Make sure the brand logo is present in the video.
You can either showcase your logo throughout the ad and/or add it to the end card for the last few seconds of the video. Adding it to the end card can remind customers of who you are and help with brand recall. Make sure to use the highest-quality logos/assets in your ad, so they don't appear pixelated on screen.
Logo displayed during video
Logo displayed on end card
5. Call to action (CTA)
In addition to featuring your product and your logo (or brand name), you can include a call to action on the end card to drive more consideration and action from your audience (not a requirement). CTAs should be clear and precise, such as "Visit us on [URL]," "Learn more on [URL]," or "Available on Amazon.com." Make sure the CTA does not look like a button, hyperlink, or anything clickable.
6. Voice-over (VO)
VO is not required, but can be a great tool to drive the narrative, help convey the benefits of the product(s), further establish brand identity, and reduce the need for on-screen text. Make sure to capture the highest quality of VO recording possible and try to find the right voice that matches the tone of your video ad and your product/brand.
7. On-screen text
We recommend using as few words as possible on screen, and relying more on VO narration for Streaming TV ads. Too much reading risks causing a bad experience for viewers. Communicate concise and easy-to-understand information on screen for a duration long enough that viewers can effectively read and understand it.
Not recommended
Recommended
- Ensure legibility by making sure that the color of on-screen text does not blend into the background color of the ad, so it is not difficult for viewers to read.
Not recommended
Recommended
- Make sure that the language being used for the copy in the video matches the language of the locale where it is being displayed.
8. Music/audio
When selecting music for your Streaming TV ad, pick something that matches the tone of the ad and is a high-quality audio file.
- Avoid songs or sound effects that are pulsing or loud and abrasive.
- Avoid jarring sounds, low-quality audio, audio jumps, and audio artifacts (distortion or pops).
- Make sure the advertiser or production company secures or owns the rights to the music used in the ad.
9. Additional recommendations
- Avoid low-quality/low-resolution logos and graphics, which will appear pixelated on high-resolution TVs and devices.
- Avoid the overuse of still images, as this can lower the overall quality of an ad.
- Avoid glitching or strobing graphics, as this could cause viewers to believe they have poor Internet connection.
- Use smooth camera pans and avoid excessive or incongruent shot cuts, which may give viewers the sensation of whiplash.
- Avoid creating ads that resemble informercials, where the talent is talking to the camera and aggressively selling the product(s) directly to the viewers.
- Don’t use unsubstantiated marketing claims, over-the-top jokes, distracting skits, or cumbersome narratives that may confuse customers.
- Don’t use other companies' brand logos, trademarks, or products.
- Remember that Streaming TV ads may contain either letter-boxed or pillar-boxed formatting, but not both.
Approved: Letterbox
Approved: Pillarbox
Declined: Letterbox and Pillarbox