Meta is testing new AI video creation capabilities that allow advertisers to animate an image and expand videos to fit Reels.
The AI Animation Tool allows advertisers to upload a static image and generate a video from it. In the example shown on The Verge article linked to above, Meta's AI tool made strawberries in the background of an image slowly float around the jar to capture the viewer's attention better while scrolling.
The Video Expansion Tool uses AI to generate “unseen pixels in each video frame” to increase its size. For example, it can take a square video and expand the top and bottom to fit within the vertical dimensions of a Reel. The tool was developed in response to the popularity of a similar feature for images.
AI expanded ads like this will appear on the new full-screen video tab that's coming soon to Facebook, which I covered in last week's edition (story #4).
Helen Ma, director for product management at Meta, told Retail Brew, “Maybe [smaller brands] aren’t ready yet to invest super heavily in creative. It’s an opportunity to say, ‘I’m gonna stay at my core, but I’m gonna use AI to figure out how to then transform this in a video environment.’”
The Verge noted that Meta isn’t the only platform letting advertisers create ads with AI. Last month, Amazon released an AI tool that creates clips based on product images, and TikTok is experimenting with using AI-generated avatars in ads as well. I also cover a new Google Merchant Center tool today in section 9.
Lastly in the world of Meta advertising… the company is testing capabilities to improve brand voice and tone in gen-AI-powered creatives, based on feedback from advertisers. Additionally, the company unveiled a tool to create more integrated creator campaigns, letting advertisers incorporate creator content into collections ads on Reels and elsewhere.