🎬 Google demos Veo 3 with its own ad

Today’s Insights

✦ Feature: Google's Veo 3 ad is the pitch
✦ Snapchat partners with Perplexity
✦ Apple close to Siri-Gemini deal
✦ 45% Watch Netflix with ads
✦ PayPal-ChatGPT Payments

Feature

Google wants to show advertisers that AI video generation is ready for primetime.

The 30 second spot from Google features a resourceful turkey using AI Mode (which referenced KAYAK, Wikipedia and Reddit as sources) in Google Search to book a trip to escape Thanksgiving.

Google used Veo 3, its latest video generation model, to produce the commercial. And soon, advertisers will have access to the same tool within Google ads.

Google announced that Veo 3 is coming soon to Asset Studio, a new creative Google ads workspace that will centralize all of Google's creative tools in one place.

For ecommerce advertisers, Veo 3 is already live in Merchant Center, where it converts static product photos into motion-based video assets optimized for Shopping and Performance Max campaigns.

Google's Creative Lab went with an animated style instead of photorealistic footage. That decision looks a smart one now. When Coca-Cola released AI-generated holiday ads this season, critics called the results "soulless" and just plain off-looking, textbook examples of what the industry calls "AI slop."

Robert Wong, Vice President of Google Creative Lab, acknowledged concerns over quality but compared AI tools to Photoshop, predicting they will become standard production tools. He argues that quality difference will come down to the people behind the ads, not the technology itself.

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📊 Instagram adds Competitive Insights to let creators compare performance

The new tool allows brands and creators to compare activity and engagement with up to ten other accounts. It shows metrics such as follower growth, posting frequency, and individual post performance, even when likes are hidden.

📺 YouTube rolls out major TV app redesign

The platform is moving away from its traditional layout to a Netflix-style interface. Creators can now upload larger 4K thumbnails, group videos into shows and seasons, and use AI to upscale lower-resolution videos to full HD.

💡AI search reshapes how publishers think about traffic

Publishers are rethinking how their content appears online as AI-driven search tools now summarize information directly in results. Reddit is preparing for an AI-first future with licensing deals and new tools, while Gannett is blocking millions of AI bots and pushing for fairer content use terms.

💸 PayPal partners with OpenAI to integrate digital wallet into ChatGPT

The deal will allow merchants to use PayPal to process payments within ChatGPT starting next year. It will connect PayPal’s global merchant network to OpenAI’s new Agentic Commerce system, enabling brands to sell directly through the chatbot.

🎬 Netflix ad-supported plan drives 45% of U.S. viewing hours

Nearly half of all Netflix viewing in the U.S. now happens on the ad-supported tier, up from 34% last year. Other streaming services are seeing similar trends, with Disney+ up 16 points, Prime Video and HBO Max up 10 points, and YouTube’s free viewing still reaching more than half of U.S. households monthly.

🎙️ Netflix in talks to license iHeartMedia video podcasts

According to Bloomberg, the deal could give Netflix exclusive rights to iHeartMedia’s video podcasts. Full episodes would likely leave YouTube, where iHeart currently distributes most of its shows. However, it’s unlikely all iHeart podcasts will be included if the agreement is approved.

🤝 Snapchat partners with Perplexity to bring AI search to chat

Starting in early 2026, Perplexity’s AI engine will be built into Snapchat’s chat feature, allowing users to ask questions and receive direct, conversational answers.

⚡ Apple expected to use Google’s Gemini to power upgraded Siri

According to Bloomberg, Apple will pay about $1 billion per year to use Google’s Gemini AI model for Siri. It will handle tasks such as summarizing information and planning actions, while some features will still rely on Apple’s own AI. 

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