Super Bowl inventory keeps getting more expensive, and the audience keeps getting older.
Yet the smartest brands still show up.
Not because TV is back. Because algorithms are in charge.
Chicago Booth Review recently framed it well: the modern Super Bowl spot isn’t the whole campaign. It’s the “verification badge” that tells both humans and recommendation systems that a brand moment matters. The real value is the month-long ramp that trains feeds to keep distributing the story.
That same shift is already happening in social commerce.
If you sell on TikTok Shop, Instagram, Amazon, or Shopify, you’re not marketing to “people” in the abstract. You’re marketing to distribution systems that reward velocity, volume, and watch time.
And that changes what winning creative looks like.
This post is for Shopify brands, Amazon sellers, and social commerce operators who need more video output without adding headcount, studios, or influencer dependency.
Main keyword: AI video creation
Supporting keywords: AI video generator, UGC video AI, TikTok Shop product video, Amazon product video, shoppable Reels
What changed? The “hero ad” is now the smallest part of the campaign
The old model:
- Make one big spot
- Run it once
- Hope it sticks
The new model:
- Seed the narrative early
- Publish variations everywhere
- Let algorithms learn who engages
- Use the “big moment” as a multiplier, not a hail mary
Dunkin’s “DunKings” example is basically a modern template:
- Pre-seeding through paparazzi-style content and teasers
- A highly meme-able core video
- Post-drop merch and product tie-ins that kept the story alive
- Measurable lift in views, impressions, and sales after the event
You don’t need a $7M TV slot to apply this.
You need a system that can produce enough video to create sustained relevance.
Why this matters right now for commerce teams
Every major commerce surface is becoming more video-native:
- TikTok Shop is a video-first marketplace
- Instagram is pushing Reels as the default discovery layer for shopping
- Amazon is increasingly rewarding listings with richer media (and ads are creative-competitive)
- Paid social is a constant creative auction, not a one-time media buy
Most teams aren’t losing because their creative is “bad.”
They’re losing because they can’t ship enough iterations to find what works.
Common bottlenecks we see across brands and sellers:
- One product needs 10-30 angles, but you only have 2-3
- You need UGC-style content, but creators are inconsistent or slow
- You need seasonal refreshes, but production cycles are weeks
- You need channel-specific formats, but editing becomes the choke point
This is where AI video creation stops being a novelty and becomes infrastructure.
Are you marketing to customers or to algorithms?
Both. But the algorithm is the gatekeeper.
Recommendation systems don’t “understand” your brand the way your team does. They respond to signals:
- Hook strength (early retention)
- Watch time and replays
- Shares, saves, comments
- Click-through to product pages
- Conversion feedback loops (especially in commerce-native platforms)
So the job is not “make one perfect video.”
The job is:
- Create a narrative that can be expressed in many variations
- Publish enough volume for the algorithm to find the right audience pockets
- Refresh fast enough that performance doesn’t decay
That is exactly why AI video generators are showing up inside performance teams, not just creative experiments.
If you want a deeper read on how performance buyers are operationalizing this, see: Ad buyers are now using AI for video.
What “marketing to the algorithms” looks like in social commerce
Here’s the practical translation for commerce operators.
1) You build a “creative ecosystem,” not a single asset
Instead of one product video, you build a set:
- 5 hooks (problem, promise, curiosity, social proof, contrarian)
- 5 demos (unboxing, before-after, how-to, comparison, close-up details)
- 5 proof clips (reviews, ratings, returns policy, shipping speed, guarantees)
- 5 objections (fit, sizing, durability, ingredients, compatibility)
That’s 100 combinations before you even change music, captions, or aspect ratio.
This is why scale matters more than polish.
2) You design for remixing and re-posting
Super Bowl ads are now made to be “Instagrammable.”
Your commerce videos should be made to be:
- Duet-able (TikTok)
- Stitch-able (TikTok)
- Screenshot-able (Instagram)
- Clip-able (YouTube Shorts)
- Re-cuttable into ads and PDP modules (Amazon, Shopify)
That means clean structure:
- Hook in first 1-2 seconds
- One idea per clip
- Strong on-screen text
- Product always visible early
3) You treat the product page as part of the algorithm loop
On TikTok Shop and Instagram Shopping, the product page is not separate from content. It’s the conversion endpoint the platform learns from.
On Amazon and Shopify, your PDP video influences:
- Time on page
- Confidence
- Add-to-cart rate
- Return rate (longer-term signal)
If your video is unclear, the algorithm doesn’t just “not boost it.” Customers bounce, and your conversion data gets worse, which makes paid acquisition more expensive.
Where AI video fits: replacing the ceiling, not the team
AI doesn’t replace taste.
It replaces the ceiling on output.
A strong team with AI video infrastructure can:
- Generate video with AI from product photos and brand assets
- Produce UGC-style variants without waiting on creators
- Localize and personalize versions (language, offers, seasonal angles)
- Refresh winners before fatigue hits
- Create channel-specific cuts automatically (TikTok, Reels, Shorts, Amazon)
This is the real unlock: you can finally run the kind of month-long “pump priming” campaigns that used to require agencies, studios, and celebrity talent.
Tellos fits here as infrastructure: a way to keep your video pipeline moving so your team can test more, learn faster, and ship continuously.
How this applies by channel (Shopify, Amazon, TikTok Shop, Instagram)
Shopify merchants: your PDP video is your best salesperson
Most Shopify stores still treat video as “nice to have.”
But if you’re buying traffic, your PDP video is often the difference between:
- “I get it” and “I’m confused”
- “Seems legit” and “Is this a scam?”
- “Add to cart” and “I’ll think about it”
What to scale with AI video creation:
- Product demo loops (5-12 seconds)
- Benefit-focused explainers (15-25 seconds)
- Variant-specific videos (colorways, bundles, sizes)
- Post-purchase videos (how to use, care instructions)
Amazon sellers: video is conversion defense, not just conversion lift
On Amazon, you’re not only persuading. You’re preventing doubt.
Your listing video competes with:
- Cheaper alternatives
- Similar thumbnails
- Review anxiety
- “Will this actually work?” skepticism
What to scale:
- “What’s in the box” clarity
- Use-case demos (where it’s used, how it fits)
- Comparison videos (yours vs generic)
- Objection-handling clips (materials, durability, sizing)
This is especially important for Amazon ads, where creative fatigue is real and refresh cycles are short.
TikTok Shop sellers: your content is the storefront
TikTok Shop is the clearest example of “marketing to the algorithms.”
Your product can be great and still fail if:
- The hook is weak
- The format feels like an ad
- You don’t have enough variations to find a pocket of demand
What to scale:
- UGC-style “I didn’t expect this to work” angles
- Creator-style demos without needing creators (UGC video AI)
- Price and offer framing (bundles, limited drops, price-match narratives)
- Comment-reply videos (turn objections into content)
If you’re thinking about how TikTok is reshaping the product page itself, this is directly connected: TikTok just reimagined the product page.
Instagram and Facebook commerce: Reels are the new catalog
Instagram Shopping is increasingly a Reels-first environment.
What to scale:
- Shoppable Reels with clear product-first framing
- “Out