ChatGPT ads keeps chugging along. Amazon DSP ain’t doing too bad either.
Today, Amazon Ads announced it’s partnering with OpenAI to give advertisers another way to buy ads in ChatGPT. According to the press release, US advertisers are already testing ChatGPT Ads through Amazon Ads as part of a pilot, including Delta Vacations, the vacation package provider of Delta.
The integration lets advertisers extend campaigns already managed through Amazon Ads into ChatGPT (amplification!), reaching in-market users as they research, compare options and make decisions.
Why This Matters:
This adds one of the world’s largest ad platforms/DSPs as another route for advertisers to access ChatGPT Ads. Amazon Ads can set up and manage campaigns that include ChatGPT inventory, while OpenAI’s ad system still determines whether, when and where the ads appear on ChatGPT.
That distinction is important. Amazon has access to trillions of shopping, browsing and streaming signals, of course, but neither company has said that those signals are being shared with OpenAI or directly used to target ads within ChatGPT. Meanwhile, Delta Vacations says it will use Amazon’s “deep consumer insights” to inform its approach, but exactly how those insights factor into ChatGPT campaigns remains unclear.
For Amazon, the partnership also expands the reach of its ads business into conversational AI (beyond what it might already do in its own platform). Advertisers already working with Amazon Ads can now potentially add ChatGPT to their broader media plans without managing the campaigns separately. That unification is important, whether you’re a larger or midmarket buyer.
Experts React:
Amazon DSP’s Chris Conetta called conversational advertising “the fastest growing engagement opportunity for brands,” arguing that ChatGPT gives advertisers another environment where consumers are actively spending time.
Delta Vacations President Katrin Koenig said the pilot could create new opportunities for travelers to discover vacation options while planning trips. More from Koenig:
“Through our collaboration with Amazon Ads and ChatGPT Ads, we can leverage deep consumer insights to inform how and when Delta Vacations appear within ChatGPT Ads experiences to create new opportunities for travelers to engage and discover vacation possibilities. We’re proud to be among the first brands testing this new approach and helping define what the future of AI-powered marketing can look like.”
Our Take:
OpenAI continues to build out ChatGPT ads remarkably (scarily, but not in a bad way) quickly, and this partnership adds another major player to its growing adtech ecosystem. It also shows that OpenAI isn’t relying exclusively on advertisers buying directly through its own Ads Manager.
But there’s an important line here: Amazon may help advertisers access and manage ChatGPT campaigns, but OpenAI still controls how ads are delivered inside ChatGPT. (Of course, this will raise questions.) What becomes more interesting is whether that relationship eventually deepens — particularly around Amazon’s audience and commerce data — or whether Amazon remains primarily another buying route into ChatGPT Ads.
Final thing — this has to be a rough announcement for The Trade Desk to see, right? Perhaps they’re on the “future partners” list?
