Programmatic Pause Ads on Xumo Play Boosted Brand Awareness & Delivered 276% Lift in QR Code Scans For The Jewelry Brand
NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- WunderKIND Ads, the leader in non-intrusive, user-first ad experiences, today unveiled details of the highly successful Connected TV (CTV) campaign for Zales, a premier jewelry brand under the Signet Jewelers umbrella, powered by WunderKIND Ads and conducted in partnership with media agency Connect at Publicis Media, Xumo, the streaming platform joint venture between Comcast and Charter Communications.
The national campaign leveraged Wunderkind's first-to-market innovative Pause Ad inventory on Xumo Play, a free ad-supported streaming TV service, to boost brand awareness and drive exceptional results, including a 276% increase in QR code scans and directly attributable sales from an upper-funnel tactic. Developed in partnership with OpenGlass.TV, Wunderkind's CTV Pause Ad technology ensures seamless delivery and optimization across platforms.
Faced with the challenge of amplifying a new brand message and promoting timely Mother's Day offers, Zales explored new avenues within the CTV space. The brand had historically viewed CTV as a tool for building top-of-funnel awareness rather than driving direct conversions.
WunderKIND Ads, Connect at Publicis Media, and Xumo collaborated on a strategy to challenge that perception. The campaign used custom-built creative, including one version for a Mother's Day sales push and another showcasing Zales' new brand identity. A three-pronged targeting approach was implemented, combining audience data (jewelry and Mother's Day shoppers), contextual targeting, and a run-of-network (RON) mix to balance precision with scale.
"WunderKIND Ads for CTV exceeded our expectations by driving more QR code scans vs. prior CTV campaigns, and even drove some directly attributable sales - an unexpected win for an upper-funnel tactic!" said Yasmari Garay, Sr. Director, Digital Marketing at Signet/ Zales.
The campaign delivered outstanding results that surpassed expectations:
- Massive Engagement Boost: The campaign generated a 276% increase in QR code scans compared to previous, larger-budgeted campaigns.
- Directly Attributable Revenue: In an unexpected win for an awareness-focused initiative, the campaign converted engagement into measurable revenue, with directly attributable purchases from QR code scans — a rare outcome for an upper-funnel CTV activation.
"This campaign for Zales demonstrates the measurable impact that innovative ad formats can have on the connected TV experience," said Joseph Lerner, Head of Programmatic and Revenue Partnerships at Xumo. "Our mission at Xumo is to provide advertisers with effective, brand-safe solutions that not only capture viewer attention but also drive tangible results, and this collaboration with WunderKIND Ads and Connect at Publicis Media is a perfect example of that in action."
The success of the campaign exhibits the power of strategic partnerships and innovative ad formats, like pause ads, to not only capture audience attention but also drive viewers down the funnel to take direct action.
"Zales' outstanding results with WunderKIND Ads on Xumo Play underscore the power of truly user-first advertising," said Adam Gendelman, Head of Sales and Operation for WunderKIND Ads at Wunderkind. "By transforming pause moments into meaningful engagements, we've not only boosted brand awareness but demonstrably driven sales, proving that impactful, non-intrusive experiences are the future of CTV."
About WunderKIND Ads
Wunderkind is a leading digital marketing platform that delivers advertising and performance marketing solutions to brands, publishers, and advertisers.
Wunderkind's advertising product (WunderKIND Ads) delivers an unparalleled user-first ad experience across a curated list of top-tier publishers. High-impact ads are delivered in a non-intrusive and kind way, once a user disengages, resulting in happier users and higher returns for both advertisers and publishers.
Wunderkind's performance marketing solutions allow brands and retailers to scale marketing channels without relying on third-party cookies through proprietary identity management technology purpose-built for web, email, and text. By expertly tailoring, automating, and scaling brand-forward, one-to-one experiences, Wunderkind helps acquire new customers at scale and keep them loyal for life. Unlike any other company, Wunderkind guarantees revenue performance.
Discover how Wunderkind can drive efficient growth for your brand(s) by visiting https://www.wunderkind.co/how-it-works/advertising-solutions-for-advertisers-and-publishers/.
About Zales
Zales The Diamond Store® is a leading brand in the Signet Jewelers (NYSE: SIG) portfolio. For over 100 years, Zales has provided customers with a wide range of high-quality, accessible jewelry.
About Xumo
Xumo, a joint venture between Comcast and Charter, was formed to develop and offer a next-generation streaming platform for the entire entertainment industry. The company consists of three primary lines of business: Xumo devices, Xumo Play, and Xumo Enterprise.
Powered by Comcast's global entertainment platform, Xumo devices feature a world-class user interface that includes universal voice search capabilities, making it easy for consumers to find and enjoy their favorite streaming content. Xumo Play is a free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service with hundreds of ad-supported linear channels and on-demand options that anchors the free content offering on Xumo devices and is also available as an app on other major streaming platforms. Xumo Enterprise is the business-to-business arm of the joint venture, providing content makers, distributors and advertisers with tools and services to make FAST content more accessible.
About Connect at Publicis Media
Born in a time of media disruption, Connect is an agency liberated from legacy and old team models. Our purpose-built teams are designed for ambitious brands who demand category expertise and startup speed. Architecting from scratch with client specialization in mind, clients get our agility, speed and collaborative approach backed by the scale and integrated power Publicis Media. We rise to the challenge of clients with complex retail or portfolio ecosystems, regulated categories or clients who must win in B2B and B2C. Whether challengers in their category or leading brands with a challenger mindset, our bespoke approach dials up the integration of audience data, what's next in media, and leading-edge technology with specialist knowledge. Custom built means we accelerate growth from Day One.
Media Contact
Elizabeth Philbin, Wunderkind, [email protected], https://www.wunderkind.co/
SOURCE Wunderkind
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