Wunderkind’s Adam Gendelman: Pause Ads Drive 79% Lower Cost Per Action Than Other CTV Formats

Why It Matters

Pause‑ads deliver substantially lower acquisition costs while preserving viewer goodwill, offering advertisers a scalable path to measurable CTV performance.

Key Takeaways

• Pause ads cut cost-per-store visit by 79% versus other CTV formats.
• Non‑intrusive ad experience boosts QR scan rates 276% for Zales.
• Programmatic pause ad buying enables single creative across apps and OEMs.
• Industry seeks standardization for interactive CTV formats like pause ads.
• Kindness‑focused ads improve brand perception and lower‑funnel performance.

Summary

Wunderkind’s Adam Gendelman highlighted the growing relevance of pause‑ads on connected‑TV (CTV) as a non‑intrusive, performance‑driven format. By programmatically serving a single creative across multiple apps and OEMs, the company aims to replace traditional in‑stream spots with a viewer‑respectful experience that activates only when users pause or disengage. The data presented underscores the format’s efficiency: a Ulta campaign achieved a 79% lower cost‑per‑store‑visit compared with other CTV channels, while Zales saw QR‑code scans jump 276%—far exceeding the 0.3% industry benchmark. Gendelman emphasized that these outcomes shift the conversation from vanity metrics to concrete, lower‑funnel results such as ROAS and store visits. Gendelman repeatedly invoked the company’s “kindness of advertising” ethos, noting that users recall brands more favorably when ads do not interrupt their viewing. He cited third‑party measurement from firms like Attains and Lucid to validate the uplift in brand relevance and consumer intent. The broader implication is a push toward industry‑wide standardization of interactive CTV formats—pause ads, home‑screen ads, squeeze‑back ads—enabling advertisers to purchase inventory more holistically. As standards emerge, brands can expect scalable, cost‑effective ways to drive measurable performance without compromising user experience.

Original Description

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Pause ads might just be the ultimate form of advertising kindness to both marketers and CTV viewers alike..

“The results we saw is our pause ad experience drove 79% lower cost per action versus other channels that are running on CTV, in streaming, any other interactive formats,” Adam Gendelman, vice president, head of Sales, Supply and Operations at Wunderkind, told Beet.TV contributor David Kaplan at the Beet Retreat San Juan.

Wunderkind’s approach focuses on serving ads when users signal disengagement points rather than interrupting active viewing experiences.

Programmatic pause ad transactions

While pause ads have existed for almost a decade, Wunderkind aims to bring programmatic transacting capabilities to the advertising community through single deal IDs that operate across multiple apps and original equipment manufacturers.

“We really latched into the pause ad movement as we like to call it, where we’re really focused on being able to serve pause ads,” Gendelman said. “The idea to transact on them programmatically is what we really want to bring to the advertising community.”

Visible without being intrusive

Pause ads maintain visibility without becoming intrusive through creative messaging paired with visible call-to-action elements or prominent QR codes that require deliberate user interaction to proceed.

“We really focus on the creative messaging. Really making sure that ad is paired with a visible call to action or a prominent QR code where users know that they have to take a call to action or use their phone to download the QR code,” Gendelman said.

This approach delivers messages without interrupting viewing experiences while providing clear engagement pathways.

Lower funnel performance metrics

Initial pause ad campaigns attracted upper-funnel advertisers, but results demonstrate strong lower-funnel performance including 276% increase in QR scans for Zales’ Mother’s Day campaign, exceeding 0.56% versus 0.03% benchmark rates.

“We’ve shifted conversation from these vanity metrics, awareness, reach, frequency to these lower funnel metrics that every advertising trading desk or company really wants to drive,” Gendelman said. “What is the outcome? And we will do it via these third party measurement companies.”

User experience drives favorable perception

Research indicates that non-interruption approaches generate more favorable brand perception and relevancy compared to arrival-based advertising, despite advertiser pressure to create more disruptive experiences.

“There’s always going to be advertisers that want to be impactful or interrupt the user experience. That’s never going to go away,” Gendelman said. “What we’ve really latched onto is that user experience. We think we can be as impactful as serving an ad on arrival, but really waiting for that user to signal or show a point of disengagement.”

Standardization adoption ahead

The industry anticipates IAB standardization release for interactive formats including pause ads, home screen ads, squeeze back ads, and screensaver ads within coming months, followed by app and OEM adoption.

“It’s really exciting. We’ve been talking about when the standard is going to be released. I feel like for the last two, three years, I feel like this is the year where the standardization will get released,” Gendelman said.

This standardization will enable advertisers and brands to purchase interactive formats in more holistic and ubiquitous fashion across platforms.

“Getting the apps and OEMs to adopt a standard where advertisers and brands can purchase this in a more holistic or ubiquitous fashion,” Gendelman said.