Pinterest Releases First ‘Cinematic’ Ads That Look A Lot Like GIFs

Lauren Keating, Tech Times 20 May 2015, 09:05 am

When you are in the mood to create DIY projects or are looking to tell your social media friends that you #nailedit when baking, Pinterest is probably your platform of choice.

However, there are also times when you go on Pinterest with the intention of buying items, such as that trendy bag you saw posted or that new pair of shoes. This means dollar signs for advertisers, and the social media platform was smart enough to start cashing in when it began selling Promoted Pins over a year ago.

The company has now released its first animated video-like ads, called Cinematic Pins, that look a lot like GIFs.

The Cinematic Pins are moving ads that are unique when comparing them to video ads from competitors like Facebook and Twitter. When a user is on Pinterest, they will see their pins, along with the new Cinematic Promoted Pins that move only when the user is scrolling down. Stop scrolling and the GIF-like image stops moving.

"Users are delighted by this experience," Pinterest's general manager of monetization Tim Kendall told AdWeek. "They wind up scrolling back and forth. They love controlling the motion."

Video ads on the other side work the complete opposite way, starting once a user stops scrolling and stops when the user continues to scroll down.

"What we heard was, auto-play ads are interruptive, and this is so much better because it keeps me in control," Kendall told TechCrunch.

Along with the new stop-motion ads, brands will soon be able to target the type of audience, such as foodies or fashionistas, in its new audience-targeting model.

The new ads and targeting methods are part of Pinterest's new pricing models that will be available later this summer. The new model includes "cost per action" Promoted Pins, where advertisers will only pay Pinterest when a user acts on a Promoted Pin (such as when a sale is made or a promoted app is downloaded), as well as having advertisers pay based on engagement (such as re-pins, shares and clicks).

Of course, Pinterest will have to approve all ads, and users will also have the chance to voice their opinions on them. Thus far, brands like Wendy's, Target, L'Oreal and Visa have begun to test the Cinematic Pins.