Amazon Sponsored Brands Video is an Amazon Ads format in which a short video from your brand starts automatically and without sound in search results and on product detail pages and takes shoppers to a product detail page or your Brand Store with one click. You target it at keywords or products and pay per click or by viewable impressions (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/solutions/products/sponsored-brands). Motion stands out between static product tiles, but it works mainly when it shows what the product does within a few seconds and without sound. We checked all specs and rules in this article against Amazon's official sources on 23 October 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Access: Sellers on the Professional plan enrolled in Brand Registry, vendors and agencies (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/solutions/products/sponsored-brands).
- Specs: 6 to 45 seconds, 16:9, MP4 or MOV up to 500 MB, 20 seconds or less recommended (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/resources/ad-specs/sponsored-brands-video).
- Creative: The video starts muted. Show the product within the first two seconds, avoid black frames at the start and end, leave out discounts and star ratings (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/library/guides/sponsored-brands-display-ads-moderation).
- Bids: Video has its own placement and auction, so it needs its own campaigns and bids (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/library/guides/sponsored-brands-what-to-know).
- Measurement: Click-through rate, ACoS, new-to-brand orders, meaning first-time customers of your brand in the last 12 months, and video metrics such as 5-second views (Sources: same page and advertising.amazon.com/resources/whats-new/sponsored-brands-video-view-metrics).
How does Sponsored Brands Video work and where does it appear?
Sponsored Brands Video is a video ad in shopping results and on product detail pages that starts playing once half of its pixels are visible and always begins without sound (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/resources/ad-specs/sponsored-brands-video). Placement and click destination depend on the landing page:
- Product detail page: The video runs in shopping results and on detail pages, and the click leads to the advertised product (same source).
- Brand Store: The video appears at the top, middle or bottom of search results and can feature up to three products (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/solutions/products/sponsored-brands).
- Video-only brand ad: Since 3 January 2024 a video can also run without any product, then only at the top of search, billed by vCPM and with the Store as destination (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/resources/whats-new/sponsored-brands-video-introduces-video-only-creatives).
According to Amazon, Sponsored Brands Video has its own ad placement and auction (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/library/guides/sponsored-brands-what-to-know). Plan it with its own campaigns, bids and reporting. You create it in the advertising console, which has been called Amazon Ads Agent since 29 September 2026 (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/library/news/amazon-ads-agent).
What do you need to run Sponsored Brands Video?
As a seller you need the Professional selling plan and your brand enrolled in Brand Registry; vendors, agencies and KDP authors can use Sponsored Brands as well (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/solutions/products/sponsored-brands).
- Products: According to Amazon, excluded products include adult products, used and refurbished items and products in restricted categories (same source).
- Language: On-screen text, audio and subtitles must be in the marketplace language, so German on Amazon.de (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/library/guides/sponsored-brands-display-ads-moderation). For additional marketplaces you need subtitles or separate versions (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/resources/ad-specs/sponsored-brands-video).
Which technical specs does Amazon Ads require?
Amazon requires a 16:9 video as MP4 or MOV, 6 to 45 seconds long and no larger than 500 MB (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/resources/ad-specs/sponsored-brands-video). The details:
| Spec | Value according to Amazon Ads |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1,280 × 720, 1,920 × 1,080 or 3,840 × 2,160 pixels, square pixels |
| Video | H.264 or H.265, Main or Baseline profile, progressive, at least 1 Mbps, 4 Mbps or more recommended |
| Frame rate | 23.976, 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 29.98 or 30 frames per second |
| Audio | PCM, AAC or MP3, mono or stereo, at least 96 kbps and 44.1 kHz |
(Source: same page, as of 23 October 2026)
Length: The specs page recommends 20 seconds or less, and Amazon's moderation guide calls 15 to 30 seconds the ideal length (Sources: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/resources/ad-specs/sponsored-brands-video and advertising.amazon.com/library/guides/sponsored-brands-display-ads-moderation). We cut 15 to 20 seconds, which meets both.
Vertical format: Amazon announced vertical videos on 14 February 2024, Germany included, but only with the Store as landing page (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/resources/whats-new/sponsored-brands-video-introduces-vertical-video-creatives). The specs page, however, lists only 16:9. Produce 16:9 as your standard and test vertical if your account offers it.
How do you design a video that works without sound?
A video that works without sound shows the product immediately, explains the benefit with on-screen text and ends with logo and brand name, because every Sponsored Brands video starts muted (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/resources/ad-specs/sponsored-brands-video).
What Amazon requires (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/library/guides/sponsored-brands-display-ads-moderation):
- no black or blank frames at the start or end, a common reason for rejection
- no bars at the edges, letterbox and pillarbox formats are not allowed
- sharp images and no abruptly cut ending
- text the average customer can read, with clear contrast
- no offers, discounts, customer reviews or star ratings, nothing flashing or flickering
What Amazon recommends: show the product within the first two seconds and a key feature within the first five, add subtitles (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/library/guides/getting-started-with-sponsored-brands-video), keep text out of the bottom right corner where the mute button sits, and close with an end card showing brand name and logo (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/resources/ad-specs/sponsored-brands-video).
Our structure for 15 to 20 seconds:
- First frame: the product in use, filling the frame, no logo intro.
- Core benefit: one short line of text that answers the search query.
- Proof: two to three scenes covering use, detail and result.
- End card: logo, brand and product name as a still frame.
No footage? According to Amazon, the AI Video Generator in the campaign workflow is free and creates six videos per run (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/library/guides/ai-video-generator). The same page lists Germany among the available countries, while its FAQ mentions only the US store and English-language creatives. Check in your account whether you get a German version.
Which keywords and bids suit Sponsored Brands Video?
Sponsored Brands Video works first with the keywords that already sell in Sponsored Products, then with competitor and category terms. Amazon's guide names three points: each campaign has only one targeting type, keywords or products including categories; Amazon recommends at least 25 keywords mixing broad, phrase and exact match; negative targeting keeps the video away from irrelevant search terms (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/library/guides/sponsored-brands-what-to-know).
This is how we set up the campaigns:
| Campaign | Targeting | Goal and billing | Landing page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generic | keywords that sell in Sponsored Products | page visits, per click | detail page |
| Brand | your own brand terms | page visits, per click | Brand Store |
| Competitor | product targeting on competitor ASINs | page visits, per click | detail page |
| Reach | category terms | brand impressions, vCPM | Brand Store |
(Goals and billing: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/solutions/products/sponsored-brands; setup: our recommendation)
Bids: Start at the cost per click of the same keyword in Sponsored Products, but do not compare one to one later, because video runs in its own auction. Then raise bids weekly on keywords whose ACoS is below your target, lower them on keywords that still bring no order after a number of clicks that matches the product price and negate irrelevant search terms. Amazon also offers bid adjustments for shoppers who have already bought from your brand, clicked or added to cart (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/solutions/products/sponsored-brands). If you want new customers, do not raise bids for these groups.
Landing page: According to Amazon, Sponsored Brands video campaigns with the Brand Store as destination had a 23 percent higher average conversion rate in 2024 than those with a product detail page (Source: Amazon Ads, internal data, worldwide, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/library/guides/key-events-store-prep). That is an average across all campaigns; for a single hero product the detail page is the shorter path. Test both with the same keywords and plan the budget as described in How much does Amazon advertising cost?
Which metrics show whether your video works?
Three levels show whether your video works: video metrics for the opening, click-through rate for relevance and sales metrics including new-to-brand customers for the business. For Sponsored Brands Video, Amazon reports viewable impressions, view-through rate (VTR), 5-second views, quartiles, completed videos and unmutes, among others (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/resources/whats-new/sponsored-brands-video-view-metrics).
| Question | Metric | Lever if it is weak |
|---|---|---|
| Does the opening hold? | 5-second view rate | show the product earlier and larger |
| Do shoppers keep watching? | quartiles, completed videos | shorten, show the benefit earlier |
| Are the right people clicking? | click-through rate | keywords, product selection, text |
| Do they buy? | conversion rate, ACoS | landing page, price, detail page |
| Are new customers coming? | new-to-brand orders | more generic, fewer brand terms |
- Count new customers: According to Amazon, new-to-brand means first-time customers of your brand in the last 12 months, and ROAS should not be the main metric for Sponsored Brands (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/library/guides/sponsored-brands-what-to-know). A slightly higher ACoS can pay off if the video brings new customers.
- Wait for attribution: Amazon attributes Sponsored Brands sales for up to 14 days after the interaction (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/library/guides/getting-started-with-sponsored-brands-video). Only evaluate a week once it is two weeks in the past.
- One change per test: first frame, text or landing page, with the same keywords and bids. Measure the overall effect through TACoS, as described in our Amazon PPC strategy 2026.
How does Sponsored Brands Video differ from display video and Store video?
Sponsored Brands Video reaches shoppers while they search, display ads with video reach audiences on and off Amazon, and only visitors to your Brand Store see Store videos.
| Format | Where it runs | Targeting | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsored Brands Video | search, product detail pages | keywords, products | per click or vCPM |
| Display ads with video | Amazon, Twitch, IMDb, third-party websites and apps | audiences, remarketing | per click or vCPM |
| Store video | only in your Brand Store | none | Store is free |
(Sources: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/library/guides/getting-started-with-sponsored-display-video-creative and advertising.amazon.com/de-de/solutions/products/stores)
- Display ads were formerly called Sponsored Display (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/solutions/products/sponsored-display). For video, Amazon specifies 16:9 at 1,920 × 1,080 pixels or more (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/library/guides/getting-started-with-sponsored-display-video-creative). More in display and video advertising on Amazon.
- Store video: Video tiles play on click and need a cover image, background videos run 2 to 20 seconds muted in a loop, up to four per page (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/de-de/resources/ad-specs/stores). More in building an Amazon Brand Store.
- Sponsored Products video was announced by Amazon on 11 November 2025 for the US only (Source: Amazon Ads, advertising.amazon.com/resources/whats-new/unboxed-2025-sponsored-products-video).
Shoot once and cut three versions: Sponsored Brands, display ads and a short loop without essential text for the Store.
When is Sponsored Brands Video worth it?
Sponsored Brands Video is worth it once your Sponsored Products campaigns are profitable, the detail page converts and your product explains itself better in motion than in a photo. Wait if the Buy Box is unstable, stock is tight, the detail page converts poorly or you lack a version in the marketplace language that passes moderation.
We are The Marketplace Guys, an Amazon Ads Partner from Bielefeld, founded in 2022 by Alexander Schnelle and Bhavesh Tailor. We manage more than 5 million euros in retail media budget and are active on Amazon DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL and BE. We plan video as a separate campaign layer with its own bids and a language version per marketplace. How we run Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands Video and display ads together is described on our Amazon PPC agency page; PPC management starts at 2,500 euros per month. If you want to review your campaigns together, get in touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What technical specs apply to Sponsored Brands Video?
According to the Amazon Ads specs, the video must run 6 to 45 seconds and use a 16:9 aspect ratio, a resolution of 1,280 × 720, 1,920 × 1,080 or 3,840 × 2,160 pixels and the MP4 or MOV format up to 500 MB with H.264 or H.265. Amazon recommends 20 seconds or less; audio is optional.
Do I need Brand Registry for Sponsored Brands Video?
As a seller, yes: Amazon Ads lists the Professional selling plan and enrollment in Brand Registry as requirements for Sponsored Brands. Vendors, agencies and KDP authors can use the format as well. According to Amazon, excluded products include adult products, used and refurbished items and products in restricted categories.
Does a Sponsored Brands Video need sound?
No. According to Amazon Ads, Sponsored Brands videos always start muted, shoppers turn sound on by tapping, and an audio track is not required. Make it work silently: the product within the first two seconds, as Amazon recommends, the core benefit as legible on-screen text in the marketplace language, plus logo and brand on an end card.
How does Sponsored Brands Video differ from Sponsored Display video?
Sponsored Brands Video targets keywords and products and runs in search results and on product detail pages. Display ads with video, formerly Sponsored Display, target audiences such as in-market or remarketing and also run on Amazon-owned properties such as Twitch and IMDb and on partner sites. The first captures existing demand, the second builds reach and re-engagement.
Which metrics matter for Sponsored Brands Video?
For the opening, the 5-second view rate and completed videos; for relevance, the click-through rate; for the business, ACoS and new-to-brand orders, which Amazon Ads defines as first-time customers of your brand in the last 12 months. Amazon advises against making ROAS the main metric for Sponsored Brands and attributes sales for up to 14 days.