Cars.com expands AI video ads to boost VIN-level targeting, in-market conversions

New automation tool turns dealer inventory into targeted video ads, linking shopper behavior to in-market vehicle demand

On the Dash:

• Cars.com launched AI VIN video ads that automatically turn inventory into targeted social video campaigns.
• Early results show strong performance gains, including a 47% lift in influenced vehicle sales.
• Dealers can launch campaigns in about a week with fully automated, VIN-level video production and targeting.

Cars.com is scaling its AI-powered video advertising platform that converts dealership inventory into automated, VIN-specific video ads designed to match active shopper demand. The company says early campaigns are already driving measurable increases in traffic, engagement, and sales.

The rollout follows a pilot announced at the 2026 NADA Show and a live campaign launch in March.

The company says it is the only platform combining VIN-level AI video creation with real-time in-market consumer behavior data.

Sign up for CBT News’ daily newsletter and get the latest industry stories delivered straight to your inbox.

“Cars.com is the only one in the industry combining real-time marketplace demand signals, premium media distribution, and AI-generated VIN-level video,” said Lisa Gosselin, Chief Commercial Officer at Cars.com. She added that early feedback shows the tool is addressing dealer pain points through data and automation.

Performance results

In the past 30 days, Cars.com delivered nearly 10,000 unique AI-generated video assets to active car shoppers based on search behavior.

Early campaign results include:

• 35% increase in dealership website visitors
• 45% increase in influenced dealership foot traffic
• 47% increase in influenced vehicle sales

Product capabilities

Cars.com’s system automatically generates video ads when a vehicle enters a dealer’s inventory feed, using photos and vehicle data such as pricing, mileage, features, and specifications. Videos are produced within minutes and removed automatically when vehicles sell.

The platform:

• Uses OEM-compliant templates for brand consistency
• Formats ads for TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
• Targets in-market shoppers using first-party behavioral data

Once connected to a dealer’s inventory feed, campaigns require no ongoing manual input. The agency said dealers can go live in about one week, with automation handling all ongoing video creation and updates.

Dealers using the system say it improves visibility into shopper behavior and sales attribution.

According to the agency’s press release, Dawn Reidel, Director of Marketing at Heiser Automotive, said, “We know that our videos are getting to shoppers who are lower-funnel and ready to buy.” She added, “We can see every month how many people watched our videos and then came to our store locations.”

Operational, market structure clarity

Cars.com confirmed dealers do not need ongoing involvement after setup, as inventory-driven video creation runs automatically once feeds are connected.

The company also confirmed campaigns are not exclusive by market. Multiple dealers in the same area can participate, but each campaign is limited to that dealer’s own inventory and does not include competing dealerships within the same ad set.