Group Nine Launches Shoppable Sparkle Ads

Digital video publisher Group Nine said it has launched Sparkle ads, a custom, rich media experience with an e-commerce capability.

The first two advertisers to buy Sparkle ads are Cambell’s an unnamed global cleaning company, Group Nine said.

The launch follows Group Nine acquisition of PopSugar, which recently started up Sparkle as a social commerce initiative.

“Sparkle Ads marks the latest expansion of our e-commerce suite and creates frictionless commerce solutions that make shopping easier for consumers,” said Chris George, COO of Group Nine Media. “We plan to extend Sparkle and Sparkle Ads to all of the brands within the Group Nine portfolio. We’re excited to roll out the first Sparkle Ads to our brand partners who join us in recognizing that the future of shopping is increasingly shifting to mobile.”

Sparkle features a suite of mini apps, which ensure marketers are engaging consumers as they shop on their phone. Sparkle allows brands to facilitate commerce across multiple retailers and allows retailers to easily create customized pages featuring multiple product SKUs while collecting valuable purchase intent data. The beta launch of Sparkle Ads allows advertisers to extend the usage of Sparkle into turnkey, shoppable ads featuring their products from Amazon and Walmart.

The first Sparkle ads are running on the PopSugar website, but they will eventually be available on Group Nine other site, including The Dodo, Thrillist, NowThis and Seeker.

Group Nine has relationships with numerous retailers, including Walmart, Amazon, Kohl’s, Shopify and The Gap.

Campbell’s media agency, Spark Foundry, worked with Group Nine on the Sparkle Ads.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.