Fetch has introduced what it describes as the advertising industry’s first rewarded video format designed specifically for consumers during active shopping journeys. The new ad experience appears after users scan receipts within the Fetch app, allowing shoppers to voluntarily watch branded videos in exchange for rewards. The launch reflects a broader shift in advertising technology toward opt-in, commerce-driven media that prioritizes consumer engagement, first-party data, and measurable outcomes over traditional impression-based advertising.

As advertisers search for more effective ways to reach consumers in an increasingly privacy-conscious digital landscape, commerce media platforms are experimenting with formats that emphasize voluntary engagement rather than interruption. Fetch’s latest rewarded video offering reflects this trend by combining retail media, first-party purchase data, and incentive-based advertising into a single consumer experience.

The rewards platform announced the launch of its new Rewarded Video format, enabling brands to serve opt-in video advertisements immediately after users scan shopping receipts in the Fetch app. Instead of displaying ads passively during browsing sessions, the platform delivers branded content at a moment when consumers have already demonstrated purchasing intent.

Consumers who choose to watch the videos receive Fetch Points, which can be redeemed for gift cards, merchandise, charitable donations, and other rewards. Advertisers, meanwhile, are charged only when a video is viewed to completion, shifting campaign measurement from impressions to completed engagements.

The launch illustrates how retail media and commerce advertising continue to evolve beyond traditional display advertising and programmatic impressions.

Commerce Media Meets Rewarded Advertising

Rewarded advertising has traditionally been associated with mobile gaming, where users voluntarily watch video advertisements in exchange for in-game currency or digital content. Fetch is adapting that engagement model for retail by placing rewarded video directly into a shopping-focused environment.

Because the experience appears after consumers upload purchase receipts, advertisers gain access to audiences who have recently completed real-world transactions rather than simply visited an online storefront.

This creates a form of purchase-based audience targeting, allowing campaigns to reach verified category buyers instead of relying exclusively on behavioral predictions or third-party tracking data.

According to Fetch, early testing produced a 96% video completion rate, alongside an 85-fold increase in opt-in participation compared with conventional digital advertising benchmarks. The company also reported a 9.2 percentage-point increase in unaided brand awareness, significantly exceeding typical consumer packaged goods (CPG) advertising benchmarks cited by the company.

Although these figures originate from internal testing, they highlight growing advertiser interest in engagement models that reward consumer attention rather than interrupt digital experiences.

First-Party Data Continues to Shape AdTech

The launch arrives as advertisers accelerate investments in first-party data strategies following the industry’s transition away from third-party cookies.

Because Fetch’s platform is built around verified purchase activity, brands can target audiences based on actual shopping behavior instead of inferred browsing patterns.

This capability aligns with broader industry efforts to improve advertising relevance while maintaining compliance with evolving privacy regulations.

Retail media networks have emerged as one of the fastest-growing segments within advertising technology, allowing brands to activate proprietary shopping data to improve campaign performance.

Technology companies including Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Adobe, and Salesforce continue expanding AI-powered advertising and commerce capabilities as marketers increasingly prioritize measurable, privacy-aware customer engagement.

Fetch’s rewarded video model fits within this larger transformation by combining verified commerce data with voluntary advertising interactions.

Major Brands Test the Format

Consumer goods company Unilever participated as one of the first advertisers to test the rewarded video experience.

The company used the format to support interactive commerce campaigns designed to strengthen consumer engagement while exploring new approaches to digital media investment.

Global media agency WPP Media is also collaborating with Fetch to introduce the advertising format to enterprise brands. The partnership allows advertisers to test rewarded commerce experiences across campaigns focused on brand awareness, product launches, category expansion, and customer consideration.

For agencies managing omnichannel campaigns, outcome-based pricing tied to completed video views may provide greater accountability than traditional impression-based buying models.

The approach also reflects growing demand for advertising formats that generate measurable attention rather than passive exposure.

Retail Media Expands Beyond Sponsored Products

Retail media has traditionally focused on sponsored product listings and search advertising within retailer websites and marketplaces. Increasingly, however, platforms are introducing premium video, interactive advertising, and AI-driven personalization to expand available inventory.

Rewarded video represents another step in this evolution by integrating entertainment, incentives, and commerce into a single advertising experience.

Industry analysts expect these formats to become more common as retailers seek new monetization opportunities while brands pursue higher-quality customer engagement.

According to Statista, global retail media advertising continues to grow rapidly as brands shift budgets toward channels that provide closed-loop measurement and verified purchase insights. Gartner also identifies first-party data activation and AI-powered personalization as strategic priorities for marketing organizations adapting to privacy-first digital advertising.

As competition for consumer attention intensifies, advertising platforms are increasingly exploring experiences that encourage participation rather than interruption.

Fetch’s rewarded video launch illustrates how retail media platforms are expanding beyond conventional advertising formats, creating new opportunities for brands to connect with shoppers through measurable, value-driven engagement built around real purchasing behavior.

Market Landscape

Retail media continues to reshape digital advertising by combining first-party customer data with measurable commerce outcomes.

• Statista projects sustained growth in the global retail media advertising market as brands increase investment in commerce-focused channels.
• Gartner identifies first-party data activation and AI-powered personalization as key priorities for enterprise marketing organizations.
• Privacy regulations and the decline of third-party cookies are accelerating adoption of purchase-based audience targeting.
• Rewarded advertising formats are expanding beyond gaming into retail, commerce, and loyalty ecosystems.

Top Insights

• Fetch has introduced a rewarded video advertising format that enables brands to engage consumers immediately after verified shopping activity through voluntary, incentive-based video experiences.
• The platform combines first-party purchase data with outcome-based pricing, allowing advertisers to pay only for completed video views rather than traditional impressions.
• Early campaign testing indicates strong consumer participation, suggesting rewarded commerce experiences could become a growing segment of retail media advertising.
• Partnerships with Unilever and WPP Media demonstrate increasing enterprise interest in commerce-focused advertising formats that prioritize measurable engagement over passive exposure.
• The launch reflects broader AdTech trends centered on privacy-first targeting, retail media growth, and consumer value exchange.

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