# 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

Need	Tool Category	Best Fit
Static ad images (banners, social)	Image generation	Nano Banana Pro, Flux, Ideogram
Ad images with text overlays	Image generation (text-capable)	Ideogram, Nano Banana Pro
Short video ads (6-30 sec)	Video generation	Veo, Kling, Runway, Sora, Seedance
Video ads with voiceover	Video gen + voice	Veo/Sora (native), or Runway + ElevenLabs
Voiceover tracks for ads	Voice generation	ElevenLabs, OpenAI TTS, Cartesia
Multi-language ad versions	Voice generation	ElevenLabs, PlayHT
Brand voice cloning	Voice generation	ElevenLabs, Resemble AI
Product mockups and variations	Image generation + references	Flux (multi-image reference)
Templated video ads at scale	Code-based video	Remotion
Personalized video (name, data)	Code-based video	Remotion
Brand-consistent variations	Image gen + style refs	Flux, Ideogram, Nano Banana Pro

## 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:

bash

# 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:

Model	Speed	Quality	Cost	Best For
Flux 2 Pro	~6 sec	Highest	$0.015/MP	Final production assets
Flux 2 Flex	~22 sec	High + editing	$0.06/MP	Iterative editing
Flux 2 Dev	~2.5 sec	Good	$0.012/MP	Rapid prototyping
Flux 2 Klein	Fastest	Good	Lowest	High-volume batch generation
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

Tool	Best For	API Status	Notes
DALL-E 3 (OpenAI)	General image generation	Official API	Integrated with ChatGPT, good text rendering
Midjourney	Artistic, high-aesthetic images	No official public API	Discord-based; unofficial APIs exist but risk bans
Stable Diffusion	Self-hosted, customizable	Open source	Best for teams with GPU infrastructure

## 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

Tool	Max Length	Audio	Resolution	API	Best For
Veo 3.1	60 sec	Native	1080p/4K	Gemini	Vertical social video
Kling 2.6	3 min	Native	1080p	Third-party	Longer cinematic
Runway Gen-4	10 sec	No	1080p	Official	Controlled, consistent
Sora 2	60 sec	Native	1080p	Official	Dialogue-heavy
Seedance 2.0	20 sec	Native	2K	Official + third-party	Affordable high-volume
Higgsfield	Varies	Yes	1080p	Web-based	Social, mobile-first

## 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:

bash

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:

bash

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:

bash

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

## Other Voice Tools

Tool	Best For	Differentiator	API
PlayHT	Large voice library, low latency	900+ voices, <300ms latency, ultra-realistic	play.ht
Resemble AI	Enterprise voice cloning	On-premise deployment, real-time speech-to-speech	resemble.ai
WellSaid Labs	Ethical, commercial-safe voices	Voices from compensated actors, safe for commercial use	wellsaid.io
Fish Audio	Budget-friendly, emotion control	~50-70% cheaper than ElevenLabs, emotion tags	fish.audio
Murf AI	Non-technical teams	Browser-based studio, 200+ voices	murf.ai
Google Cloud TTS	Google ecosystem, scale	220+ voices, 40+ languages, enterprise SLAs	Google TTS
Amazon Polly	AWS ecosystem, cost	Neural voices, SSML control, cheap at volume	Amazon Polly

## Voice Tool Comparison

Tool	Quality	Cloning	Languages	Latency	Price/1K chars
ElevenLabs	Best	Yes (instant + pro)	29+	~200ms	$0.12-0.30
OpenAI TTS	Good	No	13+	~300ms	$0.015-0.030
Cartesia Sonic	Very good	No	15+	~40ms	~$0.03/min
PlayHT	Very good	Yes	140+	<300ms	~$0.10-0.20
Fish Audio	Good	Yes	13+	~200ms	~$0.05-0.10
WellSaid	Very good	No (actor voices)	English	~300ms	Custom pricing
Voicebox	Good	Yes (local)	2+	Local	Free (open source)

## 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

AI Video Generators	Remotion
Unique output each time	Deterministic, pixel-perfect
Prompt-based, less control	Full code control over every frame
Hard to match brand exactly	Exact brand colors, fonts, spacing
One-at-a-time generation	Batch render hundreds from data
No dynamic data insertion	Personalize with names, prices, stats

## Ad Creative Use Cases

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

tsx

// 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:

tsx

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
bash

# 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
Approach	Tool	Approximate Cost
100 static images	Nano Banana Pro	~$4-24
100 static images	Flux Dev	~$1-2
100 static images	Ideogram API	~$6
100 × 15-sec videos	Veo 3.1 Fast	~$225
100 × 15-sec videos	Remotion (templated)	~$0 (self-hosted render)
10 hero videos + 90 templated	Veo + Remotion	~$22 + render time

## Recommended Workflow for Scaled Ad Production

Generate hero creative with AI (Nano Banana, Flux, Veo) — high-quality, exploratory
Build templates in Remotion based on winning creative patterns
Batch produce variations with Remotion using data (products, headlines, CTAs)
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:

Platform	Placement	Aspect Ratio	Recommended Size
Meta Feed	Single image	1:1	1080x1080
Meta Stories/Reels	Vertical	9:16	1080x1920
Meta Carousel	Square	1:1	1080x1080
Google Display	Landscape	1.91:1	1200x628
Google Display	Square	1:1	1200x1200
LinkedIn Feed	Landscape	1.91:1	1200x627
LinkedIn Feed	Square	1:1	1200x1200
TikTok Feed	Vertical	9:16	1080x1920
Twitter/X Feed	Landscape	16:9	1200x675
Twitter/X Card	Landscape	1.91:1	800x418
Include these dimensions in your generation prompts to avoid needing to crop or resize.
