Highlights:

  • Founded in 2022, Rembrand developed AI-based software that can recognize people and objects in a video and add virtual elements to a scene to make them seem natural.
  • According to Rembrand’s own case studies, insertions resulted in a five-fold increase in video completion rate, an eight-fold increase in screen time, and a 27% increase in brand awareness when compared to traditional video advertisements.

An AI-based media company Rembrand raised USD 23 million in the latest funding to penetrate into connected TV formats from social media. The company uses AI-based technology to embed virtual objects into video content for brand marketing.

Super{set} led the Series A funding round, with participation from Naver D2SF and The Trade Desk. Greycroft and BOLD, L’Oréal’s corporate venture capital division, were among the previous investors who participated in the round.

Almost everyone has seen “product placement,” which is when actors from a film, television program, or other video content enter a scene with a box of branded cereal on a table or a can of Coke in their hands. The concept is that when customers see the brand’s logo in its natural setting, the product’s simple presence in the video for the duration of the viewing gives marketing presence.

Founded in 2022, Rembrand developed AI-based software that can recognize people and objects in a video and add virtual elements to a scene to make them seem natural. The company initially focused on YouTube before branching out to LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram.

The additions occur in post-production, thus the product placement might take place after the shot. After content is created, sponsorships can be sold, and plot development is unaffected. This implies that content producers can profit from all of their content pool, including previously produced videos.

According to Rembrand, designers have total control over the placement of virtual products, their monetization strategy, and rendering processes when they use AI technology. Because it enables creators to alter placements when they move brands and advertisers while keeping control of the integration, the business refers to its technology as “generative fusion AI.”

The company contends that product placement is less aggressive and obnoxious than overlays, pre-roll adverts, and other forms of advertising that divert or interrupt viewers, in contrast to traditional advertising. Additionally, Rembrand stated that although traditional visual effects for product insertion can take weeks, its AI capabilities enable the insertion of virtual content in a matter of hours, enabling the rapid monetization of movies while they remain relevant.

According to the corporation, this is also advantageous for advertisers and brands since it enables them to personalize their target market and raise product awareness. According to Rembrand’s own case studies, insertions resulted in a five-fold increase in video completion rate, an eight-fold increase in screen time, and a 27% increase in brand awareness when compared to traditional video advertisements.

According to a LiveRamp analysis, the USD 30 billion connected television market is a significant advertising channel. With its generative fusion technology, Rembrand is well-positioned to enter this industry, which includes video advertisements broadcast to internet-connected TV devices such as gaming consoles, streaming sticks, and smart TVs, the company stated. Adults in the U.S. watch linked TV for an average of two hours and fifteen minutes every day, which is close to four hours on average. This is more than desktop watchers, according to Liveramp.

Rembrand’s AI is available to brands and advertisers via a software-as-a-service paradigm, allowing them to submit virtual items to publishers and studios for preparation. Through video editing software plugins and an application programming interface, major studios and networks can leverage AI.