AI at Cannes Lions: How Amazon Ads Is Making Creative Faster, Smarter and More Relevant

AI-Powered Advertising at Cannes Lions

This year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, artificial intelligence took center stage—not as a future concept, but as a critical business tool already in motion. Amazon Ads demonstrated this with practical AI applications actively shaping advertising today. Jay Richman, VP of products and tech at Amazon Ads, shared insights on how generative AI is changing the creative process, making it faster, more flexible, and closely tied to measurable results.

AI-Powered Video Generation at Scale

Speed in video creation has long been a goal for marketers. Amazon Ads recently launched a video ad generator for all U.S. users that creates high-quality multi-scene videos with just a click. It uses existing product data—descriptions, reviews, images—already available in Amazon’s system. This tool is especially useful for small and midsize brands that don’t have big production budgets. Multi-scene ads perform better by telling a fuller story and building emotional connection.

Scaling Creative, Not Just Output

Fast production doesn’t mean sacrificing brand identity. Amazon’s generative AI tools maintain brand voice and product authenticity by using real brand assets—images, reviews, and content specific to each product. This approach prevents generic ads and keeps messaging true to the brand. Rather than relying on templates, the AI amplifies what already works and helps brands deliver effective ads more efficiently.

Full-Funnel, Cross-Channel Reach

Amazon Ads has a broad reach across the customer journey, including product search, Prime Video, Twitch, Fire TV, and Whole Foods. With over 300 million ad-supported users monthly, the opportunity is vast. AI plays a crucial role not just in creating ads but in placing them smartly. Solutions like Performance+ and Brand+ optimize campaigns across channels using real-time data, helping brands scale from one creative to assets across multiple platforms—TV, mobile, display, and live sports.

From Personalization to Relevance

As ad volume grows, targeting precision alone isn’t enough. Ads need to feel meaningful and timely. AI enables a deeper level of relevance by adapting ads to individual tastes and contexts. For example, the same sofa ad can appear in different styles depending on the shopper’s preferences. Or travel accessories can be promoted during a travel show, or skincare ads adjusted based on weather or location. This shift moves beyond personalization by identity to relevance shaped by context.

What’s Next: Enabling Brands to Move Faster, Smarter

Creative agility will become essential for all brands, big or small. The goal is to empower marketers, creators, and agencies to produce more with less effort and to adapt creative assets for different formats and screens. A product demo can transform into a connected TV ad or an interactive mobile experience seamlessly. The technology evolves daily, but the focus remains the same: delivering ads that connect with audiences in a relevant, authentic way.

Amazon Ads supports brands in crafting ad experiences that both engage customers and drive results. With first-party data across shopping, streaming, and browsing, brands can create campaigns that resonate across Amazon’s ecosystem and thousands of external apps and websites.