In 2016, when it still had a robust newsroom staffed with journalists, BuzzFeed ran a feature on dry nose syndrome. Dry nose syndrome is a rare condition in which a person feels as if they are suffocating even though their airway is open. The article begins with the heartbreaking words of Brett Herring, who suffered from dry nose syndrome and ultimately died by suicide as a result of the condition. The article includes a photo of Haring and her young nephew smiling for the camera.
404 Media readers who found this article in 2024 noticed that the photo of Haring and her nephew included a button that said “Buy this Image,” and a dark beanie like the one Haring is wearing in the photo. I urged them to buy a hat. A “Buy Now” button below Haring’s photo prompts Buzzfeed readers to purchase a “Katie Pom Pom Beanie” from Forever New for $29.99 or a similar black beanie from Iconic for $59.99. urged to buy.
This new type of ad unit is created by Trendii, a company that uses AI to identify objects in images, match them to products sold by participating retailers, and link readers to those products to generate sales. Provided. It is common for websites to earn money through affiliate links, which means that when a site writes about a particular product, they link to an online retailer, and a reader clicks or purchases the product they found through the link. is obtained. Trendii also takes a cut of that revenue and offers similar arrangements to retailers and publishers like Buzzfeed, but monetizes images instead of links within article bodies.
This seems inoffensive and even synergistic on celebrity news sites like dmarge.com. There, an article about what movie stars like Ryan Gosling wear features an image with a “Buy this Image” button that links to a black Allbirds T-shirt. But user comments on Buzzfeed over the past year show “buy this image” buttons appearing above images of gruesome crimes, graphic medical conditions, and destroyed areas and displaced people in the Gaza Strip. You can see that.
“When I read articles like this, I have to say that the ‘buy this image’ ad feature is really creepy,” one commenter wrote, “17 Creepy, Unsettling, and Scary Things I Learned This Month.” ” in a Buzzfeed article titled. I really, really, really can’t keep it to myself. “This man is killing his neighbors by slowly dosing them with opioids. You can get his costume here. This woman had her arms and legs amputated after being licked by a dog. Let’s think about how we can change our looks.” The commenter mentions two real-life incidents and images in the article. One is about a man in Florida who poisoned his neighbor, and the other is about a woman who lost a limb to a dog infection.
Comments on a Buzzfeed article about how various celebrities talk about Palestine include a “Buy this image” button on an image of Palestinian children surrounded by bombed buildings in Gaza. indicates that it has been displayed.
When asked for comment, BuzzFeed said the “Shop This Image” ad was from BuzzFeed Australia, which was licensed to Val Morgan Digital Group in 2023 (U.S. publication It is common for companies to license their brands to other independently operated entities in Australia). Advertisements about dry nose syndrome are no longer running “for obvious reasons.” BuzzFeed also said ads should be geofenced so only Australian readers can see them. 404 Media, the company that originally informed us about the ads, is based in Australia, and the ads could not be viewed on Buzzfeed’s site from the United States.
Val Morgan Digital did not respond to requests for comment.
“Unfortunately, this was an oversight, an accident, and clearly not intended by Trendii,” Trendii CEO Aaron Wolf told me in an email. “We accidentally displayed an image that was clearly incorrect. Our intention is to continue to evolve our product to prevent situations like this from happening in the future. We sincerely hope that we are not causing any offense to our viewers. Trendii aims to be a positive and happy experience for consumers and to provide better advertising without commodifying consumers’ personal data. I’m sure there is.”
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It’s unclear how Buzzfeed and Trendii decide which images implement the (Buy this Image) button, and the button may not be visible to all users. For example, the 2021 book review roundup appears to include a button on an image of a book cover that only features people.
The “Buy this image” button was published on Buzzfeed last month. It was also published in an article titled “I can say it.” I met you. ” The first item on the list, about syphilis, includes a medical illustration showing the most severe symptoms, such as “grotesque tumor-like growths.” Buzzfeed readers will have to click on the image, but it will initially be blurred and a graphic warning will appear before they can view the image. The same image includes a (Buy this Image) button that offers the user to purchase MAC’s Locked Kiss lipstick for $63.25, as well as other lipsticks that appear to match the lip shade in the illustration. Sticks are also available for purchase.
The same article also includes an article about the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster and images of all the astronauts on board who died. That image suggested readers buy a blue down jacket or parka to match the shade of the astronaut’s blue uniform.
Two other sets of images in articles about the “Great Molasses Flood,” which killed 21 people, and a 1937 gas pipe explosion that killed about 300 people at a Texas school, show readers buying black and white clothing. suggests that. Accompanied by black and white archival photographs.
Australia-based Trendii says it offers “AI-powered contextual advertising that instantly matches products to image and video content.”
“AI instantly identifies products in image and video content across a variety of categories, including clothing, accessories, footwear, furniture, home decor, and more,” Trendii says on its website. Discover different colors, styles, patterns, and categories and match your brand’s products (sic) with the most relevant and inspiring content. This intelligent matching feature enables seamless, contextual discovery, driving viewers from exploration to purchase. ”
However, as you can see from the example above, Trendii does not link readers to the actual product in the image, even if the product is visible in the image. Simply match the objects in the image as closely as possible to the products of retailers who choose to promote their products on Trendii. When a “Buy this Image” button appears on a photo in an article about Kanye West, readers are told that it is not what he is actually wearing in the photo, but rather a Tommy John suit similar to what he is wearing in the photo. Shorts provided.
According to Trendii’s site, the company also offers “Shop This Image” buttons on Vogue, Marie Claire, GQ, and Elle. And pop sugar. The company’s CEO, Aaron Wolfe, recently said in a podcast interview that he envisions “Shop This Image” type features becoming part of all the media we consume in the future. spoke.
“I think the way the world is going to be over the next three to five years is that basically every TV is going to be a market,” Wolf said. “We’re all connected to every brand, and it’s all instantaneous, everywhere and automatically. Every show is basically in-store, in the mall, whatever you want to call it, and everyone can see it. You can buy it anywhere.”
Update: This article has been updated with comments from Trendii CEO Aaron Woolf.
