What will Meta’s Gen AI tools mean for ad creatives?

Earlier this month, Meta announced its own media focused AI model called Movie Gen. Yet to be released as public access, the model can help create hyper realistic 16 second clips, along with making edits to existing clips, or audio bites. Movie Gen Video and Audio is built on the back of comprehensive models that include 30 billion and 13 billion parameters respectively. This corresponds to how capable the model is at generating content – Meta’s largest variant of Llama 3.1 has over 405 billion parameters. And, this is why Meta thinks it is one of the most competitive models in overall video quality.

Meta Movie Gen AI sample

Movie Gen uses text inputs to automatically generate or edit videos. While some models allow for videos to be created, the Movie Gen model takes a step further to matching the imagery with ambient noise, effects and music. It can also generate the videos in different aspect ratios and formats. Meta has started evaluating potential use cases for these models by tying up with studios such as Blumhouse. The studio, in turn, is working with several film makers to test out the technology, with a plan to expand to more studios and digital first creators in 2025.

While Meta says Movie Gen will not be integrated with any of their public platforms, it does present a truly transformational disruption with ad production.

The start of a creative disruption?

Meta has already started rolling out generative AI in its Ads Manager product. The AI will help advertisers optimize background generation, image expansion and text variations. The company expects that using these features will save more than five hours a week – freeing time that could be used to create multiple asset variations by simply clicking a button. Meta also expects these features to help advertisers quickly test creatives to identify which works best.

When coupled with Movie Gen, advertisers and agencies potentially have a silver bullet in how they can produce ad creatives. It also may also provide a mechanism for creatives to be produced on the fly as media briefs are created, campaign impact is analyzed or iterations are tested. On the back of this, existing production processes could be significantly challenged.

From disruption to opportunity

For creative agencies, this disruption is expected to feel like an existential shift. The competitive advantage built on creative expertise and access to tools, has been neutralized. Instead, access to platforms like Meta’s Movie Gen can help drive creative outcomes quickly, with much more scale and iterations.

However, all is not lost. For creative agencies, these advantages also mean quicker turnaround for clients. It also brings the creative execution process to the brainstorming stage – potentially helping drive client satisfaction and excitement by presenting options and iterating quickly. The ability to create variants also helps conduct testing,personalization and optimisation at scale. And, finally, it allows agencies to follow the entirety of the creative life cycle without having to be driven by the cost of doing it.

Maybe, such tools may help unlock the true potential of the creative process – focus on ideas and automate the execution.