Google announced the rollout of new generative AI capabilities for Demand Gen campaigns in Google Ads today.
The tools, powered by Google’s artificial intelligence, will allow advertisers to create high-quality image assets using text prompts in just a few steps.
AI-powered creative features aim to enhance visual storytelling to help brands generate new demand across Google platforms including YouTube, YouTube Shorts, Discover and Gmail.
Michael Levinson, vice president and general manager of social, local and vertical ads at Google, said in the announcement:
“Advertisers need to diversify their creative strategy with multi-format ads to keep audiences engaged and get results. With generative image tools, you can now test new creative concepts more efficiently, whether by experimenting with new image types or simply creating your own creations from scratch.”
How it works
Starting today, generative imaging tools are rolling out globally to English-language advertisers, with more languages coming later this year.
Advertisers can provide text messages to generate original, high-quality images tailored to their branding and marketing needs.
For example, an outdoor lifestyle brand that sells camping gear could use a message such as “vibrantly colored tents lit up under the northern lights” to create attractive images aimed at customers interested in camping trips in Iceland.
Additionally, a “generate more like this” feature allows advertisers to generate new images inspired by their existing high-performing assets.
Responsible AI development
In the announcement, Google emphasized its commitment to developing generative AI technology responsibly, with principles of fairness, privacy and security.
The company claims:
“In addition to ensuring that ad content adheres to our long-standing Google Ads policies, we also use additional technical measures to ensure that Google Ads’ generative imaging tools produce new and unique content. Google AI will never create two identical images.”
All generated images will include identifiable marks, such as an open standard markup and an invisible digital watermark resistant to manipulation such as screenshots and filters.
Good creative practices
To accompany the new AI tools, Google released a “Guide to creative excellence” with the following best practices for creating demand generation campaigns:
Use a combination of video and images to engage your audience at different stages of the buyer’s journey. Provide Google with a variety of assets in varying proportions to maximize reach across inventory. Use high-quality, high-resolution visuals to build brand trust and inspire action. Adopt a test-and-learn strategy, evaluating performance metrics to optimize creatives.
Why SEJ cares
Generative AI campaigns for demand generation represent a potentially valuable new capability for Google Ads advertisers.
By leveraging AI to streamline creative output, brands can experiment with a wider range of visual concepts.
This positions them to better engage audiences in Google’s premium advertising environments, such as YouTube, Discover and Gmail.
How this can help you
For brands, generative AI tools open up new creative possibilities with a level of image sophistication that previously required time and resources to produce.
The ability to quickly iterate on visual ideas can lead to more impactful advertising creative.
Small businesses and agencies operating on lighter teams can now create a high volume of diverse branding assets with minimal design resources.
Additionally, the “Generate more this way” functionality allows advertisers to expand on existing assets while maintaining a consistent look and feel.
However, brands need to approach this technology responsibly and strategically.
Although Google has implemented security measures, advertisers should still apply human oversight, creativity and brand governance when using AI-generated assets.
Featured image: blog.google/products/ads-commerce/, April 2024.
