Columbia Pinterest Ads

More and more, I am noticing Pinterest as a main focus of ad content. Check out this Columbia campaign that prompts users to pin a specific product on Pinterest. The ad resembled a Pinterest widget which
made me curious to click on it. In fact, the CTA (which on normal ads is "Learn More" or "Click Here") was "Pin it".  

While most ads link off to their website, a promotion page, or a splash page, this ad directly displays images of their products for users to pin.

Maybe they used this approach because Pinterest allows brands to exponentially spread the word about their product and increase traffic. Or maybe the goal is to gather insights on which items are pinned the most using Pinterest Analytics. Whatever the reason, this ad is a prime example of how to use social media in an advertisement.

The ad clicked through to a Pinterest splash page that prompted users to pin Columbia products.

Also note the timeliness of these Columbia ad units. They displayed in early November, just as people are starting to use their cold weather gear.