The news: WunderKIND Ads announced an integration with Yahoo DSP Thursday that will unlock scalable access to Wunderkind’s connected TV (CTV) pause ad inventory through private marketplace (PMP) deals. The partnership is proving the power of Wunderkind’s pause ads and high-impact display units to drive measurable results.

• Wunderkind’s and Yahoo DSP’s integration delivered a 12.6% lift in purchase intent for what the announcement refers to as a “leading luxury retailer”; an almost 10% lift in brand favorability; and a 28% more cost-effective CPC than the retailer’s holiday average.
• The partnership also caused brand consideration to surge 16 times higher than a partner study benchmark.
• Yahoo DSP buyers now have a direct path to utilize Wunderkind’s impactful CTV ad formats via PMP deals—combining the unmatched power of first-party data with non-intrusive ads.

Zooming out: Wunderkind has previously proven its pause ads’ ability to generate action. A WunderKIND Ads campaign for Zales saw pause ads running on free ad-supported streaming TV service Xumo generate a massive 276% increase in QR code scans compared with larger-budget campaigns. These scans led to directly attributable purchases, a rare outcome for upper-funnel CTV ads.

Other companies are taking note of pause ads’ potential:

• NBCUniversal’s use of pause ads led to its site visitation and memorability surging 43% compared with standard ads.
• FuboTV became the first CTV platform to make pause ads available in a programmatic, biddable environment after internal data proved the format drives 33% higher brand engagement than standard video ads.
• A TripleLift study found that pause ads led to a 24% increase in brand recall compared with standard pre-roll spots; a 65% higher interaction rate when including elements like QR codes; and a 15% increase in purchase intent.
• Magna and DirecTV have proven that consumers across generations prefer pause ads over frozen screens—an unusual dynamic as most CTV viewers prefer to avoid ads. Sixty-seven percent of Gen Z, 67% of Millennials, 63% of Gen X, and 60% of Baby Boomers prefer pause ads.

What it means for advertisers: Those using Yahoo DSP can now take advantage of Wunderkind’s high-performing pause ads, unlocking scalable access to formats proven to lift purchase intent, strengthen brand perception, and drive more efficient results.

As pause ads become a standard of CTV marketing, the advertisers who stand out will be those who appeal to consumer preferences: Incorporating the ability to save offers in ads, offering product recommendations tailored to what viewers are watching, and including clickable elements and QR codes to give viewers a quick way to take action.