A conversational programmatic ad that replaced static messaging with an interactive question-and-answer format, allowing CTOs and IT leaders across five markets to self-select their interest area and receive personalized content paths in four languages through DV360.

THE CHALLENGE

AWS operates one of the broadest cloud ecosystems in the market, spanning infrastructure, AI, data migration, and industry-specific solutions. Communicating that breadth within a single display ad format had consistently fallen short, producing generic messaging that failed to resonate with specialized decision-makers. AWS needed an ad experience that let CTOs and IT leaders across the US, UK, Germany, France, and Spain engage with the specific capability most relevant to their role, without requiring them to sort through content designed for a different audience.

STRATEGY

Rather than compressing AWS’s full product range into a single message, the strategy inverted the standard display format. The ad opened with one question and let the user direct the conversation from there:

• Replaced static product messaging with a single conversational prompt: “How can Amazon Web Services help you?”
  
  

• Structured four response paths – Industry Solutions, Transform Data, Generative AI, and How to Migrate – each leading to a dedicated content experience
  
  

• Localized all ad copy and landing pages across four languages: English, German, French, and Spanish
  
  

• Targeted CTOs, IT leaders, and data and AI decision-makers through DV360 with desktop-first delivery and mobile retargeting
  
  

• Designed each response path to end at a personalized landing page, converting engagement into trackable lead capture
  
  

EXECUTION

The conversational ad ran as an interactive HTML5 unit distributed through DV360 across five markets. On first load, users saw the central question with four selectable options displayed as distinct pathways. Selecting an option triggered a transition within the ad unit itself, revealing localized copy tailored to that topic and a direct link to the corresponding landing page. The entire interaction happened inside the banner, keeping users engaged without requiring a click-out before they had committed to a topic.

The primary deliverables and their formats are outlined below:

Average time spent inside the ad reached 12.7 seconds, a figure that reflected the conversational format’s ability to hold attention beyond the initial impression. Bounce rate on the connected landing pages dropped to 21%, down from 38% on previous AWS display campaigns, indicating that users who clicked through had already self-qualified their interest within the ad.

Generative AI attracted the largest share of selections at 39% of all user choices, signaling strong market interest in that capability. Localized language versions outperformed English-only variants in France and Spain by 19% on engagement, confirming that in-language messaging moved the needle for non-English-speaking decision-makers.

KEY INSIGHT