Google has announced plans to upgrade its Video Action Campaigns to the Demand Gen campaign type starting in Q2 2025. The transition will bring several key changes to help advertisers drive better performance. Michael Levinson, VP and GM of Social, Local, and Vertical Ads at Google, outlined the main aspects of the upgrade.
Demand Gen campaigns will allow advertisers to use both video and image ads within a single campaign. Ad placements will also expand beyond YouTube to include Discover and Gmail. New audience targeting features will be introduced, such as lookalike segments to reach audiences similar to existing customers.
Google claims early data shows improved campaign conversion rates when using a combination of video and image assets. The shift will occur in stages, beginning with the introduction of a migration tool for manual upgrades.
The creation of new Video Action Campaigns will then be suspended, followed by the automatic upgrade of any remaining campaigns. Google advises advertisers to start experimenting with Demand Gen campaigns and use upcoming tools to duplicate existing campaign settings. They should also familiarize themselves with the new features and best practices.
Food delivery platform DoorDash reported significant improvements after testing Demand Gen campaigns. Working with Kepler, they achieved a 15x higher conversion rate at a 50% more efficient cost per action compared to their Video Action Campaigns. Throughout the transition, Google plans to provide ongoing support, including a webinar featuring product experts, updates via the @GoogleAds Twitter account, detailed information in the Google Ads Help Center, creative excellence and best practices guides, and a comprehensive FAQ page.
As adoption of the new campaign type increases, the real impact on ad performance and user experience will become clearer. Marketers should prepare to adapt their strategies accordingly for this platform change.