Giphy is reportedly about to begin testing sponsored GIFs

GIF search engine Giphy will begin testing sponsored GIFs within integrated messaging apps, according to TechCrunch. The same source also said Giphy has reached 200 million daily users between its apps, integrations, and websites, and had reached 250 million monthly users.

The sponsored GIFs could work in a variety of ways. Most people search Giphy using emotion or action words, with popular categories on the site like “hungry,” “party,” and “smiling.” Imagine a search for “hungry” that serves up this Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt “I’m having candy for dinner” GIF as a top option when it’s time to promote the next season, or “party” that prioritizes GIFs like these dancing Absolut cocktails during a campaign.

Giphy has been engaging in creative partnerships for over a year under Giphy Studios. It not only creates original artwork GIFs, but collaborates with artists and brands to create profiles on the Giphy website. These profiles (Jonas Blue, for example, or Converse), display a curated selection of GIFs along with a custom banner, short bio or call to action, and links to socials.

According to TechCrunch’s source, there’s no set timeline for when these sponsored ads will launch. There also isn’t much indication on which platform(s) Giphy will test its sponsored ads first. Giphy is already integrated into several services’ messaging functions, including Facebook Messenger, Slack, Tinder, and Twitter.