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For some time now, Amazon advertisers have enjoyed a steady stream of creative updates. It’s reached a point where ecommerce sellers can now upload custom images – taking their Amazon branding to a higher level.

Unfortunately, that increase in permissions wasn’t accompanied with corresponding artistic skills.

Today, at unBoxed 2023, Amazon did something about that oversight.

Amazon has just launched image generation in beta – incorporating it into their pay per click (PPC) ad platform. In doing that, Amazon has made it (theoretically) possible for anyone to make high-quality, unique images!

For many digital advertisers, that created a problem. After all, what good is all that freedom without the ability to put it to use. 

In a March 2023 survey, Amazon found that among advertisers who were unable to build successful campaigns, nearly 75% cited building ad creatives and choosing a creative format as their biggest challenges.

We’re going to take a closer look at AI-based creatives, but first . . . 

What is Amazon unBoxed? 

Amazon unBoxed is an annual conference hosted by Amazon Ads. The ecommerce giant uses the conference to announce updates and new innovations designed to help companies connect with customers, and grow their brand. 

Amazon says that for 2023, “we’re showcasing fresh insights from industry leaders, training and certification classes, engaging breakouts, interactive demos, after-hours events, and an exclusive musical performance.”

It’s no surprise that one of the first reveals from Amazon unBoxed 2023 has to do with generative AI, or artificial intelligence. The marketing side of the house has long used AI for modeling and measurement. This has gone a long way towards shoring up the loss of data from the restrictions to third-party data. 

Interestingly, particularly to creative types – and Amazon agencies such as Canopy Management – these newer generative AI tools will almost certainly help streamline the development of creative advertising assets. 

Perhaps most interesting to Amazon Management agencies is the ability to use these powerful AI-based images in the extensive testing campaigns that are a foundational aspect of listing optimization strategy.

Testing multiple versions of similar imagery just get a whole lot easier!

What Did Amazon Just Launch? 

Amazon Ads has just launched image generation in beta—a generative AI solution designed to simplify the process of image creation. Amazon’s goal is to remove creative barriers and help brands to produce evocative lifestyle imagery while also helping improve their ads’ performance.

“Providing tools to make image generation simple and easy is another way for us to support advertisers while also making the ads our customers see more engaging and visually rich,” said Colleen Aubrey, senior vice president at Amazon Ads Products and Technology. “It’s a perfect use for generative AI: less effort and better outcomes.”

Essentially, what Amazon just launched revolves around the power of lifestyle imagery to drive public opinion, AND get more clicks on your Amazon product. They do that by using AI to move beyond a simple representative image to one that immerses the viewer in an evocative, emotionally resonant context. 

AI Images Can Increase Click Through Rates Up to 40% 

Amazon says that “when that same coffee mug is placed in a lifestyle context—on a kitchen counter, next to a croissant—in a Sponsored Brands mobile ad, Amazon has seen that click-through rates are more than 40% higher compared to ads with standard product images.”

AI image generators use artificial neural networks to create images from scratch. These generators can create original, realistic imagery based on textual input. The internet is already full of examples showing just how far AI images have come in the last few months. The growth has been nothing short of exponential! 

The possibilities for advertisers are almost endless. 

How to use Amazon’s AI image generation

Within the Amazon ad console, advertisers simply select their product and click “Generate.” The tool then leverages generative AI to deliver a set of lifestyle- and brand-themed images, based on product details, in a matter of seconds.

One fascinating aspect of this lies in the ability to test multiple variations of similar images. Canopy Management’s Creative Services team will be able to use the robust reporting capabilities made possible by modern AI to fine tune the images click through rate (CTR) for micro niches with the click of a button.

Amazon AI image generation 101

AI image generation uses generative models combined with your own product information to create unique brand-themed product images. You’re limited only by your own imagination and vision.

What are the benefits of Amazon AI image generation?

AI image generation functions as an immense creative lever, allowing brands of all sizes to play on the same, level Amazon field.

How Canopy Management Can Help

Selling on Amazon can be pretty straightforward. 

The problem, as always, will come down to two things; bandwidth and ability. Maybe you have the ability, or lack the time. Maybe it’s the other way around. If either case is true, Canopy Management is here to help. 

Canopy’s Amazon Creative Services team has a long, successful history of helping some of the biggest brands on Amazon get noticed on the increasingly crowded marketplace. Now, Amazon has handed them a very cool new tool to use. Just think what Canopy’s Creative wizards can do with it. 

Want to know how to incorporate AI into your own listings, just ask!