The news: The Trade Desk (TTD) is partnering with Rembrand to bring AI-generated, in-video product placements to its Kokai platform, marking a new programmatic offering that blends ads into content itself.

With this move, TTD establishes itself as Rembrand's first media-buying partner and demonstrates its commitment to democratizing access to AI-native creative solutions. This follows TTD participating in Rembrand’s $23 million Series A back in January.

How it works: Rembrand finds natural insertion points to improve contextual relevance by using generative AI to embed branded visuals, such as packaging or signage, into video after production.

Now, these virtual placements can be purchased programmatically over the public internet, and they are also becoming available in connected TV and movies.

Rembrand claims that in-content placements have demonstrated increases in unaided brand awareness (150%) and brand recall (20% to 31%).

Zooming out: To maintain its competitive edge, The Trade Desk is doubling down on generative AI, weaving more intelligent tools across its platform to enhance campaign outcomes and accelerate creative production.

• TTD also announced three AI-focused creative partners, Nova (multilingual voiceover generation), Spaceback (social-to-programmatic conversions), and Bunny Studio (quick native creative production).

This move comes amid intensifying pressure from rivals like Amazon and Viant—the latter using high-profile Cannes billboards to tout its ViantAI-powered DSP, spotlighting automation capabilities and rapid growth in connected TV as it positions itself as a leaner, more agile alternative for advertisers frustrated with traditional platforms.

Our take: As brands look for alternatives to disruptive advertisements and linear media loses ground, in-content placements provide a compromise between immersive but quantifiable and creative but scalable. And although they can't completely replace traditional advertisements, generative tools are quickly becoming indispensable for converting owned and earned content into paid media. More DSPs are likely to follow suit.

Not all viewers welcome traditional ads, which makes it increasingly valuable to reach consumers in ways that can’t be skipped or ignored. Case in point: Nearly half of respondents (46.8%) said in-game ads are more acceptable when they can be skipped.

In content-heavy spaces like connected TV, YouTube, and social video, Rembrand’s embedded ad technology offers brands a scalable solution to integrate messaging directly into the viewer experience. By blending seamlessly into the content itself, this approach could prove especially appealing to marketers looking for visibility without disruption—and may position Rembrand’s offering for long-term traction.