The Pinterest announced the launch of Visual Search Ads, a new advertising format that will allow brands to appear in prominent positions while users search for and discover products through images.
The ads may appear in the search results and in the expanded view of Pins, using a combination of keywords and visual signals to identify the user's intent. The advertiser will be able to compete for these positions through bids and direct the consumer directly to its website.
The new offering expands Pinterest's attempt to turn its visual search into a performance channel. According to the company, the platform records more than 80 billion searches per month, and more than half of them have commercial intent.
The system uses Pinterest Intelligence, AI technology that interprets images, products and behavioral signals to identify what the user is looking for, even when discovery does not start with a traditional text search.
Visual Search Ads enters global beta
Visual Search Ads will be integrated into Pinterest Performance+, the company's set of automated advertising tools, and was developed mainly for campaigns close to the purchase decision.
The new format will begin to be made available in beta to eligible advertisers in Pinterest's advertising markets in the coming weeks. The company did not say when a broad release will occur.
Pinterest also announced new features for Performance+, including Priority Products, which allows prioritizing certain items in campaigns, as well as A/B tests for creatives and targeting.
