Amazon has announced a major update to the Sponsored Brands product collections, replacing the existing format with a new AI-powered Sponsored Brands collections experience starting January 28, 2026. This update applies to all US advertisers currently running product collections campaigns.
Amazon is positioning this as a move toward a simple setup and better relevance using automation. For sellers, it changes how Sponsored Brands collections are structured, how products are shown, and how much creative control brands have in their ad format.
What exactly is changing?
Until now, Sponsored Brands product collections allowed sellers to:
Run ads with 1 to 3 ASINs
Add custom headlines and lifestyle images
Control how the ad looked and how the brand story was told
That format is being replaced. From January 28, 2026 onward:
New Sponsored Brands collections ads must include at least 3 ASINs
You can feature up to 10 ASINs in a single ad
Custom headlines and lifestyle images are removed
Amazon automatically pulls product images and details from listings
Sellers can either let Amazon’s AI select products dynamically or choose ASINs manually
Existing campaigns with 1 or 2 ASINs will continue running and can still be optimized, but you cannot add new ad groups to them.
What role does AI play now?
This update is part of Amazon’s broader push toward AI-led advertising. With the new format:
Amazon uses first-party shopping data to decide which products to show
Product selection can change dynamically based on shopper intent
The focus shifts from creative storytelling to relevance and conversion
This update also aligned with new AI prompts for the Sponsored Brands prompts, where Amazon increasingly guides advertisers toward automated decisions rather than manual setup. Sellers still have control, but Amazon is clearly encouraging AI-driven optimization.
How does this impact sellers in real terms?
For sellers with larger catalogs: This update can be a positive shift. Showing up to 10 products in one Sponsored Brands ad makes it easier to:
Promote related SKUs together
Cross-sell variations or complementary products
Capture more high-intent traffic without creating many campaigns
For sellers with smaller catalogs: This can be limiting. If your brand only has one or two strong ASINs, you:
Can’t create new collections ads unless you group at least 3 products
May need to rely more on Sponsored Products or standard Sponsored Brands formats
Might lose visibility if collections were a core strategy
For brand-focused advertisers: The removal of custom headlines and lifestyle images reduces brand storytelling. Sponsored Brands collections now behave more like a product grid, not a brand billboard.
What should sellers do next?
Audit your current Sponsored Brands collection: Check how many ASINs each campaign uses and which ones rely on custom creatives.
Create logical product groups: Group related products that make sense together to meet the 3-ASIN minimum.
Decide on AI vs. manual control: Test Amazon’s AI selection for scale, or manually select ASINs if control matters.
Watch performance closely during rollout: This update is phased. Performance may fluctuate as Amazon adjusts delivery.
Be ready to shift budgets: If collections no longer fit your catalog, Sponsored Products or other Sponsored Brands formats may perform better.
This update reinforces Amazon’s direction toward AI-driven Sponsored Brands, fewer creative barriers, and more automated decision-making. For sellers, success will depend less on creative assets and more on product grouping, listing quality, and catalog depth.
If you want help restructuring Sponsored Brands campaigns, our experienced Amazon advertising specialists can help you adjust before performance drops, not after. If you wait, performance gaps may appear as older strategies stop scaling.
