X is testing a new, less intrusive ad format that inserts a product recommendation directly under a relevant user post, as confirmed by head of product Nikita Bier. The initial test promoted Starlink beneath a post praising the service, with Bier describing the goal as creating "an ad product that isn’t an ad."
This test coincides with the rollout of official "Paid Partnership" labels for creators, suggesting a strategy to combine compliant sponsored posts with embedded ads to attract more marketers. The broader context is X's ongoing effort to compete for creators and their revenue, through various tools like ad-revenue sharing and updated subscription features.
The main topics covered are the new contextual ad test, the introduction of Paid Partnership labels, and X's broader strategy to attract creators and advertisers to the platform.