Pinterest Launches Visual Search Ads
Pinterest has launched Visual Search Ads, placing advertisers directly in search results and Pin closeups as users compare products. The company boasts over 80 billion monthly searches, with the majority being visual and half of them commercial.
"Traditional search advertising has long relied on keywords, but in an AI-driven world, people are expressing themselves in much richer ways," said Bill Ready, CEO of Pinterest.
This new format allows advertisers to bid for top placement and drive users directly to their sites. Visual Search Ads integrate with Performance+, Pinterest's AI advertising suite, supporting lower-funnel objectives. They will be available to eligible advertisers across all Pinterest markets in the coming weeks.
In addition to Visual Search Ads, Pinterest is introducing:
- Priority Products: Letting advertisers select specific products to promote during seasonal launches or promotions.
- Self-Serve A/B Testing: For creative, targeting, and Performance+ campaigns.
- App Promotion: An objective designed for app installs, now in global beta with qualified advertisers (with one notable exception showing an 85% improvement in cost per install).
- Restyle: A consumer feature launching in beta in the US and Canada, allowing users to test and compare design options in their own homes using AI.
Pinterest Intelligence, powered by Nvidia GPUs and open-source models, supports these new features by providing visual understanding of images, products, taste, and intent.
As Pinterest evolves its advertising model, other platforms are following suit, with OpenAI testing Sponsored Agents in ChatGPT and AI assistants proving competitive against search during Prime Day.