At a recent industry roundtable hosted by Amazon Ads and e4m, top media experts, agency leads, and brand stakeholders came together to explore the growing potential of on-package advertising, an innovative offline format that is rewriting the rules of consumer engagement.
In a world saturated by digital noise and dwindling attention spans, Amazon’s latest foray into offline advertising might just be the breath of fresh air brands have been looking for. Held under the banner of e4m, the roundtable featured a compelling mix of brand marketers, outdoor specialists, and strategic media minds who convened to unpack the promise of on-package ads, a format Amazon Ads which is almost like an innovative mobile billboard.
Arvind Sabharwal, Business Head, On-Package Ads, Amazon India and Srishti Rastogi, GTM Head, On-Package Ads, Amazon India moderated the session and highlighted the uniquely positioned opportunity for brands to drive engagement, recall, and storytelling through physical packages delivered to millions of homes across the country.
“On-package Ads is beyond placing a logo on a box. We want to stitch together storytelling, creative design, relevant reach, and post-campaign customer insights into one seamless solution,” Arvind said.
“As per a recent study, the average consumer spends about seven minutes unboxing a package, an emotionally charged, high-intent interaction. That’s an opportunity for brands to connect in a tangible, memorable way,” explained Srishti.
Through elements like branded boxes, inserts, QR codes, scratch cards, and even augmented reality-enabled experiences, Amazon is offering advertisers a high-impact touchpoint at people’s homes. It’s a proposition bolstered by scale, Amazon reaches 100% serviceable PIN codes in India and by the ability to deliver customized audience segmentation and performance insights.
More than 50 campaigns have already been executed across verticals such as FMCG, electronics, entertainment, and pet care. Brands such as Asian Paints, Lego, Whiskers among others have already leveraged on-package ads to tell their brand story in a creative format.
The roundtable included leaders from Laqshya Media Group, GroupM, Rapport Chrome, Publicis Groupe India, OAP Media, and Walk The Talk, among others. The media fraternity responded positively to the concept, praising it for its scale, precision, and hybrid online-offline nature.
Harish Nair (National Digital Strategy Director, GroupM OOH Solutions) articulated the opportunity succinctly: “What does a marketer want? Personalized experience at scale. On-package ads deliver exactly that.” He highlighted how traditional OOH reaches about 6,000 pin codes, while retail media, led by e-commerce giants like Amazon, can touch 15,000- 20,000. “This is not just an OOH extension,” he said. “It’s a chance to tap into retail media spends, which are the fastest-growing globally.”
Rajat Sikdar (Director, Walk The Talk) echoed this view, noting that packaging is no longer just a delivery vehicle but a storytelling device. “Packaging is the new theatre,” he said, referencing a quote by Steve Jobs, reiterated during the session.
With end-to-end campaign support, innovation in delivery formats, and an eye toward storytelling, Amazon is positioning on-package ads not just as an alternative medium, but as the next frontier in offline advertising.
For an industry constantly seeking high-impact, brand-safe formats that break through the clutter, the box just might be the new billboard.
