"For us, Al driven personalization is driving deeper and more relevant advertising experiences for consumers.” - Carly Zipp
Amazon has transformed from an online bookstore into one of the most powerful ecosystems in the world, one that touches nearly every facet of daily life. From commerce and cloud to entertainment and AI, its reach is vast, and its influence deeper than many realize. In this episode, we explore how Amazon is not just reshaping how we shop, but how we consume, connect, and discover. Whether it's live-streaming Thursday Night Football, integrating AI into ad personalization, or partnering with top creators like MrBeast, Amazon is redefining the rules of engagement. Carly Zipp, Global Director of Brand Marketing at Amazon Ads, offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the company is building the future, where content meets commerce, and personalization powers everything.
Carly Zipp is the Global Director of Brand Marketing at Amazon Ads, where she leads brand positioning and campaign strategy across Amazon’s suite of consumer and media platforms. With previous leadership roles at TikTok and Outfront Media, she brings deep expertise in creator ecosystems, experiential storytelling, and digital innovation. At Amazon, she’s focused on crafting brand narratives that resonate globally while driving measurable impact.
Tune into the latest episode or read the transcript below to learn more. Here are some top takeaways:
Prime Video Ads Unlock a New Era of Full-Funnel Marketing
Amazon's expansion into Prime Video advertising enables brands to finally execute true full-funnel strategies within a single ecosystem. Now, a consumer could see a national brand spot during Thursday Night Football and later receive a Sponsored Display ad while shopping on Amazon. This seamless flow from awareness to purchase—backed by first-party data—makes it easier for brands to measure effectiveness across the entire customer journey. It's no longer about top vs. bottom funnel, it’s about owning the entire experience.
Live Sports Personalization Is Redefining Mass Media
Amazon’s investment in live sports is more than just about rights—it’s about reinvention. Amazon Ads uses audience-based creative to serve different ads to different viewers watching the same game. For example, a skincare brand might reach a beauty enthusiast while a car brand reaches a lease-up prospect, all in real time. This level of personalization turns live sports into one of the most powerful, high-intent brand canvases. For advertisers, it’s a chance to combine the scale of broadcast with the precision of digital.
AI Tools Are Making Great Creative More Accessible For Everyone
Historically, high-quality creative was often reserved for the biggest brands with the biggest budgets. But Carly notes that Amazon’s AI-powered DSP is changing that. Smaller and mid-sized brands can now tap into automated creative generation and optimization tools that deliver performance at scale. She cites NASCAR as an example where emerging brands could reach passionate, engaged fans without needing a seven-figure media plan. Smart creative and personalization aren’t just for enterprise players anymore, they’re for every marketer with a message.
MrBeast Shows the Power, and the Risk, of Creator Commerce
Carly unpacks Amazon’s partnership with MrBeast on “Beast Games,” a first-of-its-kind creator-led competition series. While the partnership drew massive engagement, it also marked a strategic shift: letting creators bring their brand equity into Amazon’s media universe. Carly emphasizes that this is more than a sponsorship, it’s a test case for how brands can integrate into creator-driven narratives that already command trust and loyalty. As creator commerce matures, marketers must assess not just reach—but relevance, resonance, and risk.
Pause-to-Shop Turns Passive Viewers into Active Shoppers
Amazon Ads is making streaming media shoppable, without breaking the moment. One standout example comes from the hit show The Summer I Turned Pretty, where viewers could pause a beach scene and get travel recommendations from Booking.com. The feature didn't interrupt the story—it enhanced it. For brands, this represents a future where product discovery happens naturally within content, blurring the line between entertainment and e-commerce.
