This week: Google implemented new EU political ad declaration requirements and rolled out fresh updates for YouTube creators, Meta touted performance gains from its AI-powered ad tools, TikTok expanded creative options with vAI video generation, Perplexity made an audacious bid for Google's Chrome browser, and LinkedIn introduced new event promotion capabilities through Thought Leader Ads.
Google announced that starting September 3, advertisers using the Google Ads API or scripts must declare whether their campaigns contain EU political advertising or risk campaign failures and blocked updates.
Advertisers running campaigns in EU markets must update their workflows immediately to include the new "contains_eu_political_advertising" field or face significant disruptions, including failed API calls, blocked targeting changes, and the inability to schedule experiments. By September 22, any campaign declared as containing political ads will be prevented from serving in the EU entirely.
Meta reported that its AI-powered advertising tools are generating improved response rates for many advertising partners, helping advertisers optimize creative, targeting, and delivery.
For advertisers managing substantial budgets, Meta's AI capabilities represent a significant opportunity to drive efficiency at scale. These tools can help identify winning creative combinations and audience segments more quickly than manual testing, potentially improving ROAS while reducing the resource burden of campaign optimization.
YouTube rolled out several creator-focused updates, including doubling the image limit in Community Posts to 10, improving auto-dubbing capabilities for edited videos, and adding new call-to-action buttons for in-stream promotions.
Advertisers working with creators can now leverage these enhanced tools to drive more engagement and conversions. The expanded Community Posts allow for richer visual storytelling, while the new CTA options like "Book Now" and "Get Quote" enable more specific conversion actions from video content, potentially improving campaign performance.
AI search startup Perplexity made an unsolicited $34.5 billion all-cash offer to purchase Google's Chrome browser, backed by several large venture capital funds despite Google showing no interest in selling.
While the acquisition is unlikely to succeed, it signals the strategic importance of browser ownership in the emerging AI search ecosystem. Advertisers should monitor this development closely, as browser ownership influences default search settings, user data collection, and could potentially reshape targeting capabilities and traffic patterns in the next generation of search.
LinkedIn expanded its Thought Leader Ads format to allow advertisers to sponsor member posts that link directly to LinkedIn Event Pages, helping boost event visibility through trusted voices.
B2B advertisers can now leverage the credibility of executives, employees, and industry experts to promote virtual and in-person events more effectively. With 94% of marketers citing trust as key to B2B success, this format offers a powerful way to drive event registrations while building authentic connections with professional audiences.