ad-creative · generative-tools

Generative AI Tools for Ad Creative

Reference for using AI image generators, video generators, and code-based video tools to produce ad visuals at scale.

When to Use Generative Tools

Image Generation

Nano Banana Pro (Gemini)

Google DeepMind's image generation model, available through the Gemini API.

Best for: High-quality ad images, product visuals, text rendering
API: Gemini API (Google AI Studio, Vertex AI)
Pricing: ~$0.04/image (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image), ~$0.24/4K image (Nano Banana Pro)

Strengths:

• Strong text rendering in images (logos, headlines)
• Native image editing (modify existing images with prompts)
• Available through the same Gemini API used for text generation
• Supports both generation and editing in one model

Ad creative use cases:

• Generate social media ad images from text descriptions
• Create product mockup variations
• Edit existing ad images (swap backgrounds, change colors)
• Generate images with headline text baked in

API example:

# Using the Gemini API for image generation
curl -X POST "https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/models/gemini-2.5-flash-image:generateContent" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "x-goog-api-key: $GEMINI_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "contents": [{"parts": [{"text": "Create a clean, modern social media ad image for a project management tool. Show a laptop with a kanban board interface. Bright, professional, 16:9 ratio."}]}],
    "generationConfig": {"responseModalities": ["TEXT", "IMAGE"]}
  }'

Docs: Gemini Image Generation

Flux (Black Forest Labs)

Open-weight image generation models with API access through Replicate and BFL's native API.

Best for: Photorealistic images, brand-consistent variations, multi-reference generation
API: Replicate, BFL API, fal.ai
Pricing: ~$0.01-0.06/image depending on model and resolution

Model variants:

Strengths:

• Multi-image reference (up to 8 images) for consistent identity across ads
• Product consistency — same product in different contexts
• Style transfer from reference images
• Open-weight Dev model for self-hosting

Ad creative use cases:

• Generate 50+ ad variations with consistent product/person identity
• Create product-in-context images (your SaaS on different devices)
• Style-match to existing brand assets using reference images
• Rapid A/B test image variations

Docs: Replicate Flux, BFL API

Ideogram

Specialized in typography and text rendering within images.

Best for: Ad banners with text, branded graphics, social ad images with headlines
API: Ideogram API, Runware
Pricing: ~$0.06/image (API), ~$0.009/image (subscription)

Strengths:

• Best-in-class text rendering (~90% accuracy vs ~30% for most tools)
• Style reference system (upload up to 3 reference images)
• 4.3 billion style presets for consistent brand aesthetics
• Strong at logos and branded typography

Ad creative use cases:

• Generate ad banners with headline text directly in the image
• Create social media graphics with branded text overlays
• Produce multiple design variations with consistent typography
• Generate promotional materials without needing a designer for each iteration

Docs: Ideogram API, Ideogram

Other Image Tools

Video Generation

Google Veo

Google DeepMind's video generation model, available through the Gemini API and Vertex AI.

Best for: High-quality video ads with native audio, vertical video for social
API: Gemini API, Vertex AI
Pricing: ~$0.15/sec (Veo 3.1 Fast), ~$0.40/sec (Veo 3.1 Standard)

Capabilities:

• Up to 60 seconds at 1080p
• Native audio generation (dialogue, sound effects, ambient)
• Vertical 9:16 output for Stories/Reels/Shorts
• Upscale to 4K
• Text-to-video and image-to-video

Ad creative use cases:

• Generate short video ads (15-30 sec) from text descriptions
• Create vertical video ads for TikTok, Reels, Shorts
• Produce product demos with voiceover
• Generate multiple video variations from the same prompt with different styles

Docs: Veo on Vertex AI

Kling (Kuaishou)

Video generation with simultaneous audio-visual generation and camera controls.

Best for: Cinematic video ads, longer-form content, audio-synced video
API: Kling API, PiAPI, fal.ai
Pricing: ~$0.09/sec (via fal.ai third-party)

Capabilities:

• Up to 3 minutes at 1080p/30-48fps
• Simultaneous audio-visual generation (Kling 2.6)
• Text-to-video and image-to-video
• Motion and camera controls

Ad creative use cases:

• Longer product explainer videos
• Cinematic brand videos with synchronized audio
• Animate product images into video ads

Docs: Kling AI Developer

Runway

Video generation and editing platform with strong controllability.

Best for: Controlled video generation, style-consistent content, editing existing footage
API: Runway Developer Portal

Capabilities:

• Gen-4: Character/scene consistency across shots
• Motion brush and camera controls
• Image-to-video with reference images
• Video-to-video style transfer

Ad creative use cases:

• Generate video ads with consistent characters/products across scenes
• Style-transfer existing footage to match brand aesthetics
• Extend or remix existing video content

Docs: Runway API

Sora 2 (OpenAI)

OpenAI's video generation model with synchronized audio.

Best for: High-fidelity video with dialogue and sound
API: OpenAI API
Pricing: Free tier available; Pro from $0.10-0.50/sec depending on resolution

Capabilities:

• Up to 60 seconds with synchronized audio
• Dialogue, sound effects, and ambient audio
• sora-2 (fast) and sora-2-pro (quality) variants
• Text-to-video and image-to-video

Ad creative use cases:

• Video testimonials and talking-head style ads
• Product demo videos with narration
• Narrative brand videos

Docs: OpenAI Video Generation

Seedance 2.0 (ByteDance)

ByteDance's video generation model with simultaneous audio-visual generation and multimodal inputs.

Best for: Fast, affordable video ads with native audio, multimodal reference inputs
API: BytePlus (official), Replicate, WaveSpeedAI, fal.ai (third-party); OpenAI-compatible API format
Pricing: ~$0.10-0.80/min depending on resolution (estimated 10-100x cheaper than Sora 2 per clip)

Capabilities:

• Up to 20 seconds at up to 2K resolution
• Simultaneous audio-visual generation (Dual-Branch Diffusion Transformer)
• Text-to-video and image-to-video
• Up to 12 reference files for multimodal input
• OpenAI-compatible API structure

Ad creative use cases:

• High-volume short video ad production at low cost
• Video ads with synchronized voiceover and sound effects in one pass
• Multi-reference generation (feed product images, brand assets, style references)
• Rapid iteration on video ad concepts

Docs: Seedance

Higgsfield

Full-stack video creation platform with cinematic camera controls.

Best for: Social video ads, cinematic style, mobile-first content
Platform: higgsfield.ai

Capabilities:

• 50+ professional camera movements (zooms, pans, FPV drone shots)
• Image-to-video animation
• Built-in editing, transitions, and keyframing
• All-in-one workflow: image gen, animation, editing

Ad creative use cases:

• Social media video ads with cinematic feel
• Animate product images into dynamic video
• Create multiple video variations with different camera styles
• Quick-turn video content for social campaigns

Video Tool Comparison

Voice & Audio Generation

For layering realistic voiceovers onto video ads, adding narration to product demos, or generating audio for Remotion-rendered videos. These tools turn ad scripts into natural-sounding voice tracks.

When to Use Voice Tools

Many video generators (Veo, Kling, Sora, Seedance) now include native audio. Use standalone voice tools when you need:

• Voiceover on silent video — Runway Gen-4 and Remotion produce silent output
• Brand voice consistency — Clone a specific voice for all ads
• Multi-language versions — Same ad script in 20+ languages
• Script iteration — Re-record voiceover without reshooting video
• Precise control — Exact timing, emotion, and pacing

ElevenLabs

The market leader in realistic voice generation and voice cloning.

Best for: Most natural-sounding voiceovers, brand voice cloning, multilingual
API: REST API with streaming support
Pricing: ~$0.12-0.30 per 1,000 characters depending on plan; starts at $5/month

Capabilities:

• 29+ languages with natural accent and intonation
• Voice cloning from short audio clips (instant) or longer recordings (professional)
• Emotion and style control
• Streaming for real-time generation
• Voice library with hundreds of pre-built voices

Ad creative use cases:

• Generate voiceover tracks for video ads
• Clone your brand spokesperson's voice for all ad variations
• Produce the same ad in 10+ languages from one script
• A/B test different voice styles (authoritative vs. friendly vs. urgent)

API example:

curl -X POST "https://api.elevenlabs.io/v1/text-to-speech/{voice_id}" \
  -H "xi-api-key: $ELEVENLABS_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "text": "Stop wasting hours on manual reporting. Try DataFlow free for 14 days.",
    "model_id": "eleven_multilingual_v2",
    "voice_settings": {"stability": 0.5, "similarity_boost": 0.75}
  }' --output voiceover.mp3

Docs: ElevenLabs API

OpenAI TTS

Simple, affordable text-to-speech built into the OpenAI API.

Best for: Quick voiceovers, cost-effective at scale, simple integration
API: OpenAI API (same SDK as GPT/DALL-E)
Pricing: $15/million chars (standard), $30/million chars (HD); ~$0.015/min with gpt-4o-mini-tts

Capabilities:

• 13 built-in voices (no custom cloning)
• Multiple languages
• Real-time streaming
• HD quality option
• Simple API — same SDK you already use for GPT

Ad creative use cases:

• Fast, cheap voiceover for draft/test ad versions
• High-volume narration at low cost
• Prototype ad audio before investing in premium voice

Docs: OpenAI TTS

Cartesia Sonic

Ultra-low latency voice generation built for real-time applications.

Best for: Real-time voice, lowest latency, emotional expressiveness
API: REST + WebSocket streaming
Pricing: Starts at $5/month; pay-as-you-go from $0.03/min

Capabilities:

• 40ms time-to-first-audio (fastest in class)
• 15+ languages
• Nonverbal expressiveness: laughter, breathing, emotional inflections
• Sonic Turbo for even lower latency
• Streaming API for real-time generation

Ad creative use cases:

• Real-time ad preview during creative iteration
• Interactive demo videos with dynamic narration
• Ads requiring natural laughter, sighs, or emotional reactions

Docs: Cartesia Sonic

Voicebox (Open Source)

Free, local-first voice synthesis studio powered by Qwen3-TTS. The open-source alternative to ElevenLabs.

Best for: Free voice cloning, local/private generation, zero-cost batch production
API: Local REST API at http://localhost:8000
Pricing: Free (MIT license). Runs entirely on your machine.
Stack: Tauri (Rust) + React + FastAPI (Python)

Capabilities:

• Voice cloning from short audio samples via Qwen3-TTS
• Multi-language support (English, Chinese, more planned)
• Multi-track timeline editor for composing conversations
• 4-5x faster inference on Apple Silicon via MLX Metal acceleration
• Local REST API for programmatic generation
• No cloud dependency — all processing on-device

Ad creative use cases:

• Free voice cloning for brand spokesperson across all ad variations
• Batch generate voiceovers without per-character costs
• Private/local generation when ad content is sensitive or pre-launch
• Prototype voice variations before committing to a paid service

API example:

curl -X POST http://localhost:8000/generate \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"text": "Stop wasting hours on manual reporting.", "profile_id": "abc123", "language": "en"}'

Install: Desktop apps for macOS and Windows at voicebox.sh, or build from source:

git clone https://github.com/jamiepine/voicebox.git
cd voicebox && make setup && make dev

Docs: GitHub

Other Voice Tools

Voice Tool Comparison

Choosing a Voice Tool

Need voiceover for ads?
├── Need to clone a specific brand voice?
│   ├── Best quality → ElevenLabs
│   ├── Enterprise/on-premise → Resemble AI
│   └── Budget-friendly → Fish Audio, PlayHT
├── Need multilingual (same ad, many languages)?
│   ├── Most languages → PlayHT (140+)
│   └── Best quality → ElevenLabs (29+)
├── Need free / open source / local?
│   └── Voicebox (MIT, runs on your machine)
├── Need cheap, fast, good-enough?
│   └── OpenAI TTS ($0.015/min)
├── Need commercially-safe licensing?
│   └── WellSaid Labs (actor-compensated voices)
└── Need real-time/interactive?
    └── Cartesia Sonic (40ms TTFA)

Workflow: Voice + Video

1. Write ad script (use ad-creative skill for copy)
2. Generate voiceover with ElevenLabs/OpenAI TTS
3. Generate or render video:
   a. Silent video from Runway/Remotion → layer voice track
   b. Or use Veo/Sora/Seedance with native audio (skip separate VO)
4. Combine with ffmpeg if layering separately:
   ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -i voiceover.mp3 -c:v copy -c:a aac output.mp4
5. Generate variations (different scripts, voices, or languages)

Code-Based Video: Remotion

For templated, data-driven video ads at scale, Remotion is the best option. Unlike AI video generators that produce unique video from prompts, Remotion uses React code to render deterministic, brand-perfect video from templates and data.

Best for: Templated ad variations, personalized video, brand-consistent production
Stack: React + TypeScript
Pricing: Free for individuals/small teams; commercial license required for 4+ employees
Docs: remotion.dev

Why Remotion for Ads

Ad Creative Use Cases

1. Dynamic product ads
Feed a JSON array of products and render a unique video ad for each:

// Simplified Remotion component for product ads
export const ProductAd: React.FC<{
  productName: string;
  price: string;
  imageUrl: string;
  tagline: string;
}> = ({productName, price, imageUrl, tagline}) => {
  return (
    <AbsoluteFill style={ {backgroundColor: '#fff'}}>
      <Img src={imageUrl} style={ {width: 400, height: 400}} />
      <h1>{productName}</h1>
      <p>{tagline}</p>
      <div className="price">{price}</div>
      <div className="cta">Shop Now</div>
    </AbsoluteFill>
  );
};

2. A/B test video variations
Render the same template with different headlines, CTAs, or color schemes:

const variations = [
  {headline: "Save 50% Today", cta: "Get the Deal", theme: "urgent"},
  {headline: "Join 10K+ Teams", cta: "Start Free", theme: "social-proof"},
  {headline: "Built for Speed", cta: "Try It Now", theme: "benefit"},
];
// Render all variations programmatically

3. Personalized outreach videos
Generate videos addressing prospects by name for cold outreach or sales.

4. Social ad batch production
Render the same content across different aspect ratios:

• 1:1 for feed
• 9:16 for Stories/Reels
• 16:9 for YouTube

Remotion Workflow for Ad Creative

1. Design template in React (or use AI to generate the component)
2. Define data schema (products, headlines, CTAs, images)
3. Feed data array into template
4. Batch render all variations
5. Upload to ad platform

Getting Started

# Create a new Remotion project
npx create-video@latest

# Render a single video
npx remotion render src/index.ts MyComposition out/video.mp4

# Batch render from data
npx remotion render src/index.ts MyComposition --props='{"data": [...]}'

Choosing the Right Tool

Decision Tree

Need video ads?
├── Templated, data-driven (same structure, different data)
│   └── Use Remotion
├── Unique creative from prompts (exploratory)
│   ├── Need dialogue/voiceover? → Sora 2, Veo 3.1, Kling 2.6, Seedance 2.0
│   ├── Need consistency across scenes? → Runway Gen-4
│   ├── Need vertical social video? → Veo 3.1 (native 9:16)
│   ├── Need high volume at low cost? → Seedance 2.0
│   └── Need cinematic camera work? → Higgsfield, Kling
└── Both → Use AI gen for hero creative, Remotion for variations

Need image ads?
├── Need text/headlines in image? → Ideogram
├── Need product consistency across variations? → Flux (multi-ref)
├── Need quick iterations on existing images? → Nano Banana Pro
├── Need highest visual quality? → Flux Pro, Midjourney
└── Need high volume at low cost? → Flux Klein, Nano Banana

Cost Comparison for 100 Ad Variations

Recommended Workflow for Scaled Ad Production

1. Generate hero creative with AI (Nano Banana, Flux, Veo) — high-quality, exploratory
2. Build templates in Remotion based on winning creative patterns
3. Batch produce variations with Remotion using data (products, headlines, CTAs)
4. Iterate — use AI tools for new angles, Remotion for scale

This hybrid approach gives you the creative exploration of AI generators and the consistency and scale of code-based rendering.

Platform-Specific Image Specs

When generating images for ads, request the correct dimensions:

Include these dimensions in your generation prompts to avoid needing to crop or resize.

Source: https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/skills/ad-creative/references/generative-tools.md · v2.8.2 · MIT License (c) 2025 Corey Haines.