Google is expanding video optimization in Performance Max with generative AI that automatically creates missing aspect ratios from existing ad footage.
For advertisers, this means less manual work preparing creatives for different ad surfaces. One source video can now be adapted to multiple formats so Performance Max can use it across more placements.
The system reshapes video composition rather than generating entirely new concepts. The AI takes existing material and adjusts it to the required frame size. Final quality depends on the source: resolution, object placement, text legibility and editing logic.
Why multiple aspect ratios matter
Video in the Google ecosystem appears across different platforms and devices. Vertical footage suits mobile full-screen viewing, horizontal format works better in traditional video players, and square can be used in certain ad blocks and feeds.
If a campaign has only one video variant, the ad system is limited in inventory selection. In some cases the footage has to be cropped automatically, and important elements may fall outside the frame. A logo, promo code or CTA button can partially disappear when shifting from horizontal to vertical.
Generative AI should simplify this. Instead of simple cropping, the system can rebuild the frame: reposition an object, extend the background or adapt the composition to a new size. For Performance Max this potentially gives more ways to use one creative and reduces dependence on a pre-prepared file set.
For affiliate and iGaming teams the problem is especially relevant. When launching an offer across multiple geographies, an arbitrageur often prepares dozens of combinations: language, brand, bonus, format, video length and aspect ratio. Automation can cut production time and speed up hypothesis testing.
How this affects creative work
The main change concerns not only design but the campaign planning process itself. Previously a media buyer or creative team had to define a format set in advance and prepare each video separately. Now part of this work can shift to the ad platform.
But this does not eliminate the need to create a creative with adaptation in mind. A universal source still has to meet several requirements: key object in a safe central zone, text not positioned tight to frame edges, logo and offer terms legible on mobile, important elements not dependent on specific composition width, opening seconds clear without extra context, and core message preserved after format change.
For iGaming advertising this is especially important due to the number of mandatory elements: operator brand, bonus terms, age restrictions, legal disclaimers and call to action. If all these components sit in one narrow horizontal line, automatic conversion to vertical footage can worsen perception.
A practical approach is to shoot source video with compositional margin. Character, product or interface should remain visible under different croppings. Text is better added in large short blocks rather than long sentences that will need to be reduced during adaptation.
What to check before launch
An automatically created format cannot be considered ready for publication without review. Even a quality model can misjudge frame priorities. It may preserve a character's face but remove a promo code, keep a gaming interface but crop the logo, or extend the background so the visual style becomes unnatural.
Before launching a campaign, check each variant in several directions.
Watch the video on a smartphone, not only in the Google Ads interface. Important details must remain distinguishable on a small screen. Pay special attention to small text, odds, bonus terms and legal warnings.
Check the first two or three seconds. A user should immediately understand what is being advertised and what action is expected. When aspect ratio changes, an object can shift and the opening frame can lose meaning.
Compare the source video and adapted version. Brand name, visual elements and key offer advantage should display equally correctly. Do not allow a situation where in one format the bonus looks like the main message but in another remains outside the safe zone.
Assess sharpness, transition smoothness and absence of visual artifacts around extended background. Generative fill-in may be invisible in a static frame but show up during camera or character movement.
If the video contains interface animation, rotating slots, cards, sports odds or other dynamic elements, watch the entire video. An error on one frame can reduce trust in the ad more than imperfect CTR.
How to measure automation effect
Appearance of additional formats does not itself guarantee ROI growth. Performance Max may get more available inventory, but the outcome depends on creative quality, audience, bid, landing page and the offer itself.
To assess the new function's benefit, it makes sense to compare not only overall campaign results but the contribution of individual video formats. In reports and internal trackers, record impressions and impression share by aspect ratio, CTR and cost per click, conversion to registration or deposit or other target action, CPA and revenue per user, ROAS or ROI by geography and segment, and percentage of ad rejections and restrictions.
For the affiliate model it is important not to stop at registration. A nice CTR may result from an aggressive promise not confirmed on the landing page. Evaluate lead quality: confirmed deposits, FTD, retention and actual payout per offer.
If an automatic vertical format gives more clicks but lowers conversion to deposit, it cannot be considered successful only because of increased traffic volume. In that case check message-to-landing-page fit and the quality of the adaptation itself.
Where the function brings most benefit
Automatic format change is especially useful in three scenarios.
Small teams. An advertiser may not have a dedicated video designer for each campaign. AI helps quickly obtain baseline versions and direct resources to concept development and offer testing.
Large numbers of localizations. CIS projects often require adaptation to Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh and other languages. If video is already assembled on a modular principle, format change reduces routine operations.
Fast tests. When checking several hooks, bonuses or visual approaches, it is not always rational to manually produce a full format set. Automation allows faster test launch, then professionally refine winning variants.
At the same time, for key campaigns with high budgets or strict brand requirements, it is better to use AI as a first production stage. Final versions should go through manual editing, especially in regulated verticals and jurisdictions.
Limitations and risks
Generative adaptation does not replace a full creative strategy. The model does not know all brand nuances, a specific country's advertising policy, or audience expectations. It also is not responsible for how honestly the offer is formulated.
There are operational risks too. If a team begins using one video in all formats without control, ad materials can quickly become monotonous. A user will get a sense of repeated ads, and frequency of contact will start lowering effectiveness.
Another risk is tied to legal requirements. For iGaming it is necessary to separately check for age restrictions, responsible gaming warnings and other mandatory language. Automatic frame change must not lead to their disappearance, reduction to unreadable size, or visual conflict with the main message.
Practical strategy for advertisers
The optimal workflow looks like this: create source video with safe zones and mobile viewing in mind, upload materials to Performance Max and receive automatically adapted variants, check composition, text, brand elements and legal disclaimers, launch a test with separate results tracking by format, keep the best concepts and manually refine effective videos for each priority size.
This approach combines generative AI speed with team control. The advertiser gets more opportunities for ad delivery but does not hand the platform responsibility for communication quality.
Automatic aspect ratio generation will become a useful scaling tool, especially for Performance Max with a large number of placements. But competitive advantage will still be determined not by number of formats but by offer precision, creative quality, and how consistently the ad leads a user to the target action.
