Verizon Media and Serena Williams recently launched a shoppable video series on Yahoo’s new commerce platform, Yahoo Shopping, featuring the tennis champion’s “S by Serena” clothing collection. The short-form digital series was created to empower viewers to embrace size inclusivity, the line’s key selling point.
The digital series, powered by Verizon Media’s new shoppable video format, will take viewers on an immersive journey, with clickable content that allows for seamless purchasing. In the first episode, “Everybody, Every Body,” Williams gives fans a look at her favorite seasonal pieces from her autumn/winter 2020 collection including tips on how to style them. Additional episodes will air through February 2020.
In July, the fashion entrepreneur debuted a red twist front dress that sold out in nearly all sizes.
The partnership marks Verizon Media’s effort to build upon its commerce strategy. This fall, Verizon Media launched Yahoo Shopping, which powers commerce across the company’s brands and curates and price tracks deals for shoppers. A suite of capabilities including shoppable content videos and different ad formats through augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and cross reality (XR) have also been added to its lineup.
In July, Google debuted a new shopping platform for US users, giving them access to tailored suggestions and a “Buy with Google Guarantee” that promises a refund if the recommended retailer fails to deliver on time.
In April, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) predicted that brands are expected to increase spend by over 25 percent to $18 million on digital video this year. Comparatively, advertisers spent $14.2 million on digital video advertising, up from $12.2 million in 2017. The data also found that direct to consumer brands expect to allocate more than half of their digital spend on digital video advertising, a 50 percent YoY increase.