Max adds shoppable shows, new take on interest-based advertising

Warner Bros. Discovery Advertising Sales has announced two new offerings within its Max streamer: Shoppable shows and a “Moments” option to connect with consumers based on interest topics. 

The offerings, which are built on Kerv’s AI-enhanced technology and WBD’s AdTech platform, these new ad experiences deliver viewers a more integrated, relevant and engaging experience, while empowering brands to connect with audiences in new ways through the iconic shows and films they enjoy across the WBD ecosystem.

“Shop with Max and Moments are two dynamic solutions that exemplify how Warner Bros. Discovery is accelerating and delivering innovation across advertising technology,” said Ryan Gould, head of advanced advertising and digital ad sales, Warner Bros. Discovery, in a statement. “By closely partnering with Kerv, we’re redefining how audiences discover and engage with products while creating deeper connections between brands and our iconic portfolio of premium content and IP across Max.”

Shop with Max features a collection of new ad formats designed to accelerate the path from viewing to purchasing, inspired by the content on screen. By leveraging metadata and AI technology, Shop with Max identifies items within television shows and films and pairs them with related items in an advertiser’s catalog via a QR code that takes them to a second screen, allowing viewers to easily explore and purchase products without interrupting the viewing experience.

Shop with Max connects advertisers to audiences thanks to:

• Discoverability: Available across all genres, including scripted and unscripted series, animation, and blockbuster movies. Title availability will vary.
• Contextual Relevance: Proprietary metadata pinpoints key opportunities to showcase products that correspond to the program’s storyline.
• Seamless purchase experience: Optimized for both Connected TV and mobile, Shop with Max reduces steps from inspiration to purchase, creating a seamless and more efficient shopping experience.

Shop with Max also includes two distinct experiences:

• Product Showcase: A first-of-its-kind dynamic mid-roll ad format that presents relevant catalog items inspired by on-screen content. Shoppers can scan a QR code to explore items directly on their mobile devices.
• Mobile Shop: A curated second-screen experience offering a selection of 12-20 products inspired by the content being watched and connected to the trusted point of purchase on the advertiser’s website.

Advertisers can unlock  Shop with Max by curating products inspired by specific programs or movies in addition to title sponsorships or by scaling their ad experience across contextually relevant episodes via Moments.

Building on the success of contextual advertising, WBD introduces Moments, a new solution for aligning brands with thematic content. Powered by Kerv’s AI technology, Moments is able to use audio and visual cues to identify relevant themes, sentiment and on-screen elements.

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Through 40 curated Moments, such as cooking, real estate, gaming and science and space, Moments enables partners to reach audiences engaged with specific topics that align tonally with their messaging across the entire Max portfolio.

Key Moments features include:

• Episodic-level precision: Extends beyond endemic networks and titles to reach viewers in the right mindset while they’re consuming contextually relevant episodes.
• Scalable distribution: Enables advertisers to reach diverse audiences across Max’s extensive library of franchises, networks and IP.
• Privacy-first design: By leveraging contextual signals, Moments provides a high-quality, effective ad experience across CTV and mobile environments.
• Brand suitability options: Using contextual signals, advertisers can tailor targeting solutions to meet their brand goals. This includes targeting towards relevant themes to create positive alignment, and away from sensitive themes or topics within TV-MA and R-Rated content.

“We’re excited to be partnering with Warner Bros. Discovery to redefine what’s possible in streaming advertising,” said Marika Roque, chief innovation officer of Kerv. “With Shop with Max and Moments, we’re harnessing the power of KERV’s patented moment-based metadata to create hyper-relevant, contextual ad experiences that enhance viewer engagement and bring brands closer to their consumers through stories they love.”

At launch, brands including Wayfair will start to leverage both Shop with Max and Moments to enhance their campaigns across the Max portfolio.

“We’re delighted to collaborate alongside WBD and Kerv to create a more contextually relevant ad experience for viewers” said Kara O’Brien, head of brand marketing at Wayfair. “These new solutions on Max will make it easy for viewers to discover and purchase items for their homes inspired by the content they’re viewing and enjoying on Max.”