- Sponsored Products promote individual product listings and are usually the simplest sales-focused starting point for eligible sellers.
- Sponsored Brands are built around brand discovery using richer image/video/collection creatives and can drive shoppers to Stores or detail pages depending on format.
- Amazon has folded Sponsored Display into its broader display-ads offering; existing Sponsored Display campaigns continue, while new display campaigns use the current display workflow.
- The best ad mix depends on eligibility, catalogue depth, creative assets, objective and measurement—not on using every format at once.
1. Why the ad type matters
Amazon ad products solve different jobs. Some are designed to promote a specific product at high-intent shopping moments; others help shoppers discover a brand or reach relevant audiences beyond a single keyword result.
Choose the format from the objective first: direct product sales, brand discovery, product/category defence, remarketing/audience reach or a combination.
2. Sponsored Products
Amazon Ads describes Sponsored Products as cost-per-click ads for individual product listings. Sellers choose products and can use automatic or manual targeting, including keywords and product targeting. On Amazon, placements can appear in shopping results and on product pages, with the click leading to the advertised product detail page.
For many sellers this is the core performance format because the shopper lands directly on the product being advertised.
3. Sponsored Brands
Sponsored Brands are designed to help customers discover a brand. Amazon describes formats using video, image or collections, with placements in prominent shopping locations. Depending on format, clicks can lead to a Brand Store or product/detail-page destination.
They are most useful when the seller has eligible brand access, enough catalogue depth or a strong hero product and creative assets that communicate more than one plain product tile.
4. Sponsored Display has evolved into display ads
Amazon Ads now describes Sponsored Display as part of its wider display-ads offering. Existing Sponsored Display campaigns continue to run, while new display campaigns are created through the current display workflow in Amazon Ads.
Display ads can use image/video formats and audience/contextual targeting to reach relevant shoppers across Amazon properties and other destinations, depending on current marketplace availability and campaign setup.
5. Destination and funnel role
Sponsored Products typically send traffic directly to the advertised product detail page and are strongly tied to purchase intent. Sponsored Brands can introduce the brand, a collection or video and then move shoppers to a Store or relevant detail page. Display can support broader reach, product consideration and re-engagement depending on tactic.
This means comparing all formats only by ACoS can miss their different roles. Use the metric appropriate to the objective while keeping commercial efficiency in view.
6. Creative requirements differ
Sponsored Products can launch with product-detail-page assets and relatively little custom creative work, although current formats may support richer creative options such as video. Sponsored Brands and display usually benefit more from strong brand assets, video/images and landing-page planning.
If the listing itself has weak images, poor price competitiveness or low conversion, adding more ad formats can amplify spend without fixing the underlying offer.
7. Eligibility and marketplace availability
Ad-product eligibility can depend on seller status, product category, Featured Offer eligibility, brand status and marketplace availability. Amazon’s advertising interfaces and names also change over time.
Check the live Ads Console before promising a format to a product. Build a campaign plan around the options actually available in that account.
8. A practical rollout order
For a new eligible product, Sponsored Products often provides the first source of query/product-targeting data. Once the offer converts and enough catalogue/creative assets exist, Sponsored Brands can support discovery and Store traffic. Display can add audience/contextual tactics where the account and objective justify them.
This is not a rule that every seller must follow. A strong brand/video asset or defensive objective can justify a different order.
9. Measure each format against its job
For sales-focused campaigns, review spend, sales, orders, ACoS/ROAS and conversion. For brand/discovery campaigns, add new-to-brand, Store engagement, reach or other available metrics where relevant. For display, consider the selected optimization goal and attribution/reporting available in the interface.
Then evaluate the whole portfolio: a format can be useful even when it is not the lowest-ACoS campaign, but the reason should be explicit and measurable.
Ad-format selection table
| Format | Primary role | Typical destination / context |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsored Products | Promote individual products and capture shopping intent | Advertised product detail page; shopping results/product pages |
| Sponsored Brands | Brand/product discovery with richer image, video or collection creative | Brand Store or relevant product/detail destinations depending on format |
| Display ads (including legacy Sponsored Display workflow) | Audience/contextual reach and re-engagement across Amazon and other placements | Product detail page or other supported destination depending on campaign |
Frequently asked questions
Which Amazon ad type should a new seller start with?
For many eligible sellers, Sponsored Products is the simplest sales-focused starting point because it promotes individual product listings and supports automatic/manual targeting.
Do I need a Brand Store for Sponsored Brands?
Destination and eligibility depend on the current Sponsored Brands format and account. Some formats can use product/detail-page destinations, while Stores remain a strong brand destination where available.
Is Sponsored Display discontinued?
Amazon Ads now positions Sponsored Display within its wider display-ads offering. Existing Sponsored Display campaigns continue, while new display campaigns use the current display workflow.
Are all these ad formats CPC?
Sponsored Products is CPC. Sponsored Brands supports CPC and, for some options, other billing such as vCPM. Display billing/optimization depends on the current campaign type and setup.
Should I run all ad types at the same time?
Not automatically. Use the formats that match the product, eligibility, creative readiness, budget and objective, then measure the role of each.
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