Pinterest launches Visual Search Ads and expands Performance+ suite for brands
Pinterest introduced a new suite of ad tools, including Visual Search Ads, at its Pinterest Presents event on Tuesday. The tools will roll out in the coming weeks and are aimed at helping brands drive measurable lower-funnel outcomes without requiring new creative.
Visual Search Ads place sponsored products in search results and Pin close-ups when users search for terms like “statement handbags,” allowing them to click and buy from the merchant’s site. Pinterest Performance+, the company’s AI-powered advertising suite, now includes manual A/B testing and a Priority Products feature that lets advertisers choose which items to highlight during key moments such as seasonal launches. Pinterest says its 640 million monthly users conduct more than 80 billion searches each month, with 96% of those queries unbranded, giving advertisers ample white space to influence purchase decisions. Over the last three years, paid clicks to advertisers on Pinterest have grown fivefold, a trend the company attributes to users’ receptiveness to ads that match their inspiration-seeking mindset.
“No net new creative required,” Chloe Wix, vice president of go-to-market at Pinterest said.
Pinterest has been rolling out additional ad tools in recent years to boost engagement and revenue, and its Performance+ suite debuted in beta in 2024. Industry observers noted a 45% agency-wide increase in Pinterest investment in the first quarter of 2024, signaling renewed brand interest after a period of reduced spending.
What we know
More than half of Pinterest’s users are Gen Z, and 640 million people now come to Pinterest every month.
Pinterest says its users conduct more than 80 billion searches per month, more than half of which relate to buying a product or finding a specific item.
Nearly all searches — 96% — are unbranded, providing ample white space for brands.
Over the last three years, paid clicks to advertisers on Pinterest have grown 5X.
Visual Search Ads is one of the new offerings being rolled out in beta in markets around the world.