Brands are not expecting ChatGPT ads to generate significant sales during the holiday season, despite rapid adoption of the platform's advertising capabilities since launch in early 2026. According to Sensor Tower data, over 1,400 unique advertisers ran campaigns on ChatGPT in August, representing an 8% month-over-month increase. However, the majority of advertising spend comes from large companies like Capital One, Expedia, and Cloudflare, which account for 4%, 3%, and 2% of platform spend respectively.
Multiple barriers prevent ChatGPT ads from becoming a meaningful holiday channel. The cost-per-click on ChatGPT is approximately 6X higher than on Google, and brands report poor sales results from early tests. Additionally, ChatGPT ads lack the audience targeting capabilities available on established platforms, and the platform has not yet established itself as a trustworthy source for product recommendations among consumers. For commerce practitioners, this means holiday budgets remain concentrated on proven channels, though monitoring AI platform maturation is strategically important for future competitive positioning.