The holidays are quickly approaching, and YouTube is capitalizing on the upcoming retail season with the release of a new ad format called Shopping Ads. Shopping Ads will appear on YouTube’s home feed and search results in the effort to make the platform more shoppable. Advertisers using standard AdWords Shopping campaigns, and that have opted into YouTube on the Display Network, will be immediately eligible for this ad unit. The release of the new ad format is part of Google’s effort to make YouTube more shoppable and keep up with digital platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok that have all rolled out ad units that make it easier for consumers to purchase products directly from their platforms.

Ads will be served based on a user’s activity. For example, a consumer who has shown an affinity or interest in running might see product offerings from advertisers like Puma, who has been identified as an official launch participant.

Consumers are increasingly looking to YouTube for inspiration and product discovery, and with the release of shopping ads, consumers can now purchase directly from YouTube. Ecommerce advertisers should take notice and consider taking advantage of this new ad format for the upcoming holiday season.

NOTE: YouTube Shopping Ads should not be confused with TrueView for shopping, which rolled out in 2015 and allows advertisers to showcase products from their shopping feeds alongside TrueView Ads.