Pinterest expands AI-powered ad tools

The company says users conduct more than 80 billion searches each month, with the majority being visual and more than half having a commercial focus.

Pinterest is introducing Visual Search Ads, an advertising format designed to help brands reach users through visual search and purchase intent. Announced at Pinterest Presents, the company’s annual advertiser summit, the format will place ads in Pinterest search results and Pin closeups.

Advertisers will be able to bid for prominent placements and direct users to their websites as they search, compare products and consider purchases.

Visual Search Ads target users closer to decisions

Bill Ready, CEO of Pinterest: "Traditional search advertising has long relied on keywords, but in an AI-driven world, people are expressing themselves in much richer ways. Visual Search Ads allow marketers to tap into this new and rapidly growing form of AI-powered search with a prominent placement at the critical decision points where people see, save and decide. Powered by Pinterest Intelligence – our AI-enabled visual understanding of images, products, taste and intent – we make those signals actionable for advertisers through visual search."

Visual Search Ads are designed for lower-funnel objectives and will work with Pinterest Performance+, the platform’s AI-powered performance advertising suite. The format will enter beta for eligible advertisers across Pinterest’s advertising markets in the coming weeks.

Pinterest adds control and testing to Performance+

Pinterest Performance+ is also adding Priority Products, which gives advertisers the ability to identify products they want to prioritise during periods such as seasonal launches, promotions and category campaigns while retaining the scale and efficiency of automated advertising.

The platform is also introducing self-serve A/B testing, allowing advertisers to test campaign strategies across creative and targeting, as well as within Pinterest Performance+. The company says the feature is intended to make it easier to measure campaign impact and optimise strategies.

Pinterest expands options for mobile growth

Pinterest is introducing App Promotion as an objective for advertisers seeking app installs. The offering is currently in global beta with qualified advertisers and is designed to provide a direct route to mobile acquisition goals. Pinterest reports that one advertiser achieved an improvement of up to 85 percent in cost per install compared with previous workarounds.

The company is also expanding Pinterest Intelligence, which combines first-party signals, visual understanding and purpose-built AI across the Pinterest experience.

Pinterest Intelligence expands into consumer tools

Restyle, launching in beta in the U.S. and Canada, allows users to upload a photo and reimagine a space, explore ideas and compare options within their own homes. The feature is designed to help users move from inspiration to a more concrete decision.

Pinterest is also bringing back Bring My Pinterest to Life for a second season. The premium CTV series pairs Pinterest users with creators and brands to turn boards into real-world spaces, experiences and looks.

Digital creator Tay BeepBoop Nakamoto and fashion editor and author Caroline Vazzana will return alongside other Pinterest creators.

The announcements extend Pinterest’s focus on connecting discovery with action, giving advertisers opportunities to reach users as they explore ideas and move toward decisions.

www.pinterest.com

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