Sponsored Brands (formerly Headline Search Ads) is Amazon's premium PPC ad format available exclusively to Brand Registry sellers. Ads appear at the very top of search results pages — above Sponsored Products listings — and display the brand logo, a custom headline, and up to three products or a video.
Sponsored Brands vs. Sponsored Products
| Sponsored Brands | Sponsored Products | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Banner with logo + headline + 3 products (or video) | Single product listing ad |
| Placement | Top of search, above organic | Within search results and on PDPs |
| Brand Registry required | Yes | No |
| Attribution window | 14 days | 7 days (click) |
| Click destination | Storefront or custom landing page | Product detail page |
| Best use | Brand building + new customer discovery | Driving sales on specific ASINs |
Sponsored Brands Ad Formats
Product collection: Shows brand logo, headline, and 3 products. Clicks can go to a storefront page, a custom product set, or a specific ASIN.
Store spotlight: Highlights up to 3 storefront sub-pages. Effective for brands with strong category organization (e.g., "Kitchen", "Bedroom", "Office").
Video: Auto-playing 15–30 second video in search results. Sponsored Brand Videos appear mid-page and are available as a separate format. High click-through for products with compelling demonstrations.
When to Use Sponsored Brands
- Launch awareness: Drive brand recognition alongside Sponsored Products campaigns targeting the same keywords
- Defensive campaigns: Bid on your own brand name so competitors cannot steal your top-of-search position
- Category dominance: Running Sponsored Brands + Sponsored Products on the same keyword gives you two ad placements on page one
ACOS Differences
Sponsored Brands typically runs at a higher ACOS than Sponsored Products because the click destination (storefront or collection page) is further from conversion than a product detail page. This is acceptable because Sponsored Brands' true value is new-to-brand customers — Amazon tracks "new-to-brand" metrics in Campaign Manager specifically for this format.