Correction, 31 October 2026: An earlier version presented Gemini’s creative tools in Google Ads as a new launch. Generative image and text tools have been in Google Ads since 2023–24, and Veo video generation reached Asset Studio in March 2026.
Operator take: Gemini inside Google Ads is a genuine time-saver for asset volume, especially for Performance Max. It’s not a replacement for brand-led creative, and its India-specific output still needs a human eye. Use it to feed the machine more assets, not to skip the creative brief.
Google has been rolling its generative tools into the Google Ads interface since late 2023, and Veo video generation reached Asset Studio in March 2026. You can produce ad images — and increasingly short video — from inside a campaign, without leaving for a separate tool. For advertisers who’ve been starving Performance Max of assets, this quietly removes the biggest excuse.
What it actually does
From the asset step of a campaign, you describe what you want and Gemini generates on-brand-ish images, resizes across formats, and suggests headline and description variants. For product-led accounts it can pull from your feed. The obvious win is volume: getting from “we have three creatives” to “we have twenty” now takes minutes instead of a production cycle.
That matters because Performance Max rewards asset richness. The accounts that pull ahead fill all 15 headline slots and 10-plus images per asset group. Gemini makes hitting that bar cheap.
Where it falls short for Indian advertisers
Two honest limitations. First, cultural fidelity — generated scenes still default to a globalised aesthetic. Ask for an Indian setting and you get a Pinterest-mood-board version of one, not something that feels specifically Indian. For brands whose appeal is local, that gap shows.
Second, brand consistency. The output is on-brand in colour and vibe but drifts on the specifics — your exact packaging, your typography, your product details. It’s great for concept and B-roll-style assets, weaker for hero creative where the brand lives in the detail.
How to actually use it
The pattern that works: use Gemini to expand, not to originate. Have a human define the creative direction and the brief, then use Gemini to generate the volume of variations that Performance Max needs to optimise. Cull the generated set with a real creative eye before it ships. And keep your best-performing human-made creatives as the anchors — let the generated assets fill out the group around them.
Treat it as a faster way to feed a demanding algorithm, and it earns its place. Treat it as a way to skip creative thinking, and you’ll ship generic ads that underperform.
Source · Google Ads Help: Google Ads Highlights of 2025
If you’d like our team to audit your Performance Max asset strategy, the first call is free. See our Google Ads service.
Webfluence is a Bangalore-based performance marketing studio running paid, SEO and creative for 30+ Indian brands. Want a working session on what this means for your brand? Our team takes free 30-minute calls from our HSR Layout office.
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