Google’s new creative tools and immersive ad formats made a big impact on digital marketing at Google Marketing Live.
The annual event was in full swing in New York, where the search giant unveiled numerous innovations. These revolutionary advancements provide marketers with new ways to engage with consumers and improve their advertising campaigns.
Among the most notable introductions is a new search advertising experience currently in testing, with plans for wider availability later this year. This pioneering feature is designed to guide users through complex purchasing decisions by leveraging additional information voluntarily provided by the user. For example, if a user is looking for storage space nearby, the engine can recommend an optimal storage solution based on photographs of the goods they intend to store, ensuring a highly personalized and tailored experience.
To access this innovative experience, search results will highlight a sponsored ad marked with a distinctive blue button. By clicking on this button, the user will be taken to a dedicated page where they can upload images or other relevant information, allowing the engine to generate personalized recommendations tailored to the buyer’s specific needs.
Additionally, Google announced the introduction of brand profiles in search, curated from information provided by merchants through Google Merchant Center. These profiles were inspired by popular business profiles found in Google Search and Google Maps, recognizing that more than 40% of shopping queries mention brands or retailers.
Google is set to improve advertisers’ creative flexibility by launching new features in Performance Max campaigns. These features will allow advertisers to upload their specific brand guidelines, including fonts, colors and image references, which advanced AI models will use to automatically create branded asset variations. This integration aims to simplify campaign management while preserving brand consistency.
Additionally, retailers advertising through Google Merchant Center will have access to powerful image editing tools powered by Google’s AI capabilities. These tools will allow marketers to experiment with adding new objects to existing ad creatives, as well as expanding background elements to fit different sizes and formats, resulting in ads more captivating and visually appealing.
Continuing the theme of immersive ad experiences, Google announced the upcoming introduction of 3D rotating ads and virtual try-on capabilities for Shopping ads. These innovative formats will allow users to rotate products 360 degrees and virtually try on clothing, providing a seamless and engaging shopping experience that bridges the gap between digital and physical retail environments.
Later this year, advertisers will have the ability to embed product videos, summaries and recommendations for similar products directly into the ad format, enriching the user experience and driving informed purchasing decisions.
Notably, some of these immersive ad experiences were previously available in organic search results, but are now being extended to paid advertising, opening up new opportunities for brands to captivate and engage their target audiences.
In another important development, Google announced plans to test the inclusion of search and shopping ads in the AI Overview feature. This decision follows the recent introduction of Insights into Gemini-based AI in search, which are currently rolling out in the United States and will soon be available in other countries.
According to Vidhya Srinivasan, vice president and general manager of ads at Google, the introduction of AI previews has enabled users to visit a wider range of diverse websites, increase search activity and increase user satisfaction levels with the results.
These updates reflect Google’s continued commitment to leveraging generative AI to transform digital advertising. AI-powered technologies will offer marketers innovative ways to reach consumers at new touchpoints and deliver more personalized and engaging experiences. The adoption of AI-based technologies means that future advertising will be more immersive and interactive, and increasingly tailored to the tastes and behaviors of each user.
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