Size matters. So does context.

You have a good idea, a product you know and a message you want to convey.

When you receive a long list of formats, it is reasonable to ask why they are needed. Each adaptation should have a clear purpose: helping your customer notice, understand or act on the message.

The campaign may run across social media, paid ads and your website, as well as newsletters, stores or billboards.

The brand should remain recognizable throughout. The circumstances in which people encounter it will be very different.

Some people will scroll past quickly. Others will be actively looking for a solution. Some will be meeting you for the first time; existing customers may need a reason to return.

Each of these situations influences what we show, what we say and what we invite people to do.

Before choosing formats, decide what the campaign needs to achieve

Communication strategy clarifies whom we are speaking to, which need we address, what we can promise and how we will back it up. Those decisions shape the messages and the way we present the product or service.

Promotion strategy determines where the messages go, what each channel should achieve, which resources and destinations are needed, and how we will assess the result. Both strategies need to come together before final production.

For a travel bag, the message might focus on keeping everything organized on a short trip. The campaign plan then tells us what to make: a vertical demonstration, product photographs, copy that can work in different combinations, and a page showing the compartments and dimensions.

This preparation prevents an expensive discovery: we have produced attractive assets, but still lack the images, copy or compositions needed for the campaign we chose.

We start with the most visible thing: size.

Imagine using the same poster in a store window, on a business card and on a billboard.

You might make the information fit by shrinking or enlarging it. But can people still read it?

• Is the product recognizable?
• Does the main message stand out?

Changing an ad’s proportions may mean moving the product, shortening the headline, making a benefit more prominent or removing a secondary explanation.

An asset approved on a large monitor also needs checking at the size the audience will actually see.

A 4:5 image and a 9:16 image are both vertical, but they are not interchangeable. Nor is 16:9 the same as 1.91:1. We choose the ratio required for the placement, then compose within it.

The purpose of adaptation is to keep the message clear in real viewing conditions.

Map every place the campaign will appear

Before production, identify the touchpoints the campaign will actually use. Each has its own role and practical requirements:

We choose channels with a clear role, then prepare assets for the conditions in which they will be used.

A billboard seen in passing needs a message people can grasp quickly. A product page can go into detail. An email can pick up an earlier conversation.

Why each platform needs its own consideration

Because platforms have different formats, interfaces and mechanisms.

On Meta, we check assets for each placement, meaning the specific space in which an ad appears. We prepare the necessary versions and check which options are available in the account for that campaign. Each composition needs reviewing in the formats we use. Meta: checking placement options

TikTok recommends considering vertical format, sound and keeping important elements clear of the interface, among other things. TikTok: creative guidance

LinkedIn offers different formats for different objectives, including image ads, videos, documents and forms. The choice of format is part of the communication decision. LinkedIn: ad formats

These differences affect whether an asset can be seen, understood and acted on.

Some specifications are requirements for publication. Others are recommendations. Creative choices still need judgment and testing, whether we are deciding on the idea, wording, image or opening of a video.

Following good practice means knowing the difference and checking the current requirements before implementation.

Platform documentation tells us what is possible in that environment. Strategy helps us decide what is worth communicating through it.

Sometimes we deliver a finished ad. Sometimes we deliver its components.

A finished composition may combine a photograph, headline, logo and visual call to action, where the format allows. In a responsive ad system, the image can be a separate asset, used alongside headlines, descriptions and other components.

Google explains that Performance Max combines assets within an asset group for eligible formats and channels. The group’s copy and images therefore need to support the same offer and work together. Google Ads: building a PMax asset group

An image without a headline or illustrated button can be a complete deliverable for its intended role. The copy is supplied separately and appears when the ad is assembled. Equally, uploading a finished banner does not automatically turn it into a set of separate assets.

This affects the brief, production and approval. The client needs to know which files are final compositions, which components are supplied separately and what may vary when the ad appears.

What we prepare for PMax images

The Google documentation reviewed on 22 September 2026 allows image overlays, but recommends at least one image without text or graphic overlays for each aspect ratio. There is no blanket rule that all Google images need text, or that every Google format accepts the same overlays.

Google lists landscape and square images as required, with portrait images recommended. Files must be JPG or PNG and no larger than 5 MB; important content should stay within the central 80%. Logos have separate specifications. We check the documentation and the account requirements before implementation. Google Ads: PMax image specifications

Some configurations using a Merchant Center feed can launch without additional creative assets. Being technically able to launch does not mean the creative work is complete. Google Ads: asset groups and Merchant Center feeds

For our fictional bag, a useful set might show the whole product, its compartments, a relevant detail and the bag in use. Each composition is prepared for the required formats. Small, meaningless changes to the same photograph do not create useful variety.

A varied set gives the campaign assets for different placements and gives people different ways to understand the product. Preparing that variety is part of the production work.

“Excellent” is a creative readiness indicator

Ad Strength assesses the variety and coverage of an asset group’s materials. Google describes different levels of readiness: a minimum set may restrict the inventory available, while a technically complete set can still lack variety.

In the documentation reviewed, an “Excellent” rating also calls for varied copy, all 15 headlines and five descriptions, at least six sitelinks, and advertiser-supplied video in landscape, square and portrait orientations. We follow the specific recommendations shown in the account, which can change. About Ad Strength in PMax

This helps explain why a single image and headline may leave a campaign underprepared. The score is not a profitability report, though. An unclear offer or a broken page remains a problem even when the asset group is rated “Excellent.”

We use the indicator to find gaps and opportunities to improve the assets. We assess inquiries, orders and financial results separately. The score helps with preparation; the business objective determines success.

Automation needs clear assets and boundaries

Assembling supplied components is different from generating new ones. Automation settings may allow the platform to use website content or make other adaptations. Reviewing these settings is part of campaign preparation. Google Ads: PMax asset best practices

Google can generate video from available assets when none is supplied, and may adapt some videos to other orientations. A purpose-made video gives us more control over the demonstration, sequence and readability. We also review the automatic versions available. Google Ads: video assets in PMax

For approval, we present the assets, messaging direction and available previews. We agree on which automated changes are acceptable and which need another approval. If the project requires strict control over copy, products or destinations, the configuration needs to reflect that, within the campaign type’s limits.

A collection headline should not accidentally appear with an image and landing page promising a different product. Checking these relationships is part of both communication and implementation.

Adapt the message to the objective, too

Take the example of a travel bag campaign.

To introduce the brand, we might start with a familiar situation: packing what you need for a weekend away.

To help people compare, we can show the compartments, dimensions, materials and how the bag is used.

To encourage a purchase, make the product, price, relevant conditions and path to ordering clear.

For an existing customer, a complementary accessory or a new use might be relevant.

The objective changes the information we prioritize and the action we ask for.

Evaluation should follow the same logic. For sales, we track orders and their financial value. For inquiries, we also examine quality and what happens after the form is submitted.

These are communication roles. They do not imply a guaranteed sequence of ad exposures or a separate campaign for every message. The structure should fit the platform’s mechanics and the resources available.

The same product can matter to people for different reasons.

A business traveler might care most about the laptop compartment and keeping belongings organized. Someone who regularly takes weekend trips may care more about capacity and ease of carrying.

The product stays the same. The reason to choose it can change.

We use these arguments only if the actual product supports them.

That is why, when discussing the audience, we ask:

• What are they trying to solve?
• What do they already know about the product or brand?
• What would help them choose?
• What makes them hesitate?
• What do they need to know before taking the next step?

We create different versions when needs, motivations or levels of knowledge differ in a meaningful way. Each version should have a reason to exist.

The campaign continues after the click

If the ad features a specific product, it should be easy to find on the landing page.

If it promises an offer, the offer and its conditions must be clear there.

If the ad invites someone to book an appointment, the form needs to work and explain what happens after submission.

Google explicitly recommends alignment between the ad, the call to action and the landing page. Google recommendations

The same consistency should carry through to newsletters, in-store materials and conversations with the sales team. Prices, conditions and promises need to match.

Every inconsistency makes the customer work harder. Every well-prepared step makes continuing easier.

Why this work can take longer

An image without text may need different framing, additional photography or retouching. Separate copy assets need to make sense in the combinations that may appear. A vertical video may need re-editing. Assets should be checked after upload as well as in the working file.

Before estimating the time, we list what production requires: each component, its use, specification, source, owner and checks. That lets the client see why each deliverable exists and what would be lost without it.

Extra time is worthwhile when it solves an identified need: readability, placement coverage, explaining a benefit or avoiding an incorrect combination. Templates and automation can make the work more efficient while retaining the checks it needs.

How we work at NOT MORE.

We start with a few straightforward questions: what do we want to achieve, with whom and under what conditions?

Then we turn the answers into practical decisions:

1. Clarify the objective and audience. Define the change we want and what matters to the people we are addressing.
2. Choose the channels and their roles. Decide where to attract attention, where to explain and where someone can act.
3. Build the messages and assets required. Keep a recognizable campaign identity while adapting the presentation.
4. Check the full journey. Review everything from readability and cropping to links, forms and confirmations.
5. Monitor and adjust. Use data and sales feedback to decide what to continue, change or stop.

We use templates and automation where they help. We reuse assets that work and create additional versions when there is a clear reason.

The campaign’s needs should explain the deliverables on the list.

Why do we choose to work like this?

Because every detail has a consequence.

A readable headline helps people understand the message. A useful demonstration can answer a doubt. A consistent page helps someone find what was promised. A working form lets them take the next step.

These choices draw on business understanding, channel knowledge, current documentation, practical checks and what the results teach us.

The client’s budget, the team’s time and the audience’s attention deserve that care.

For us, professionalism shows in how each decision is explained, implemented and checked.

Size matters. So do the person you are speaking to, the moment you reach them and the experience you offer next.

All visual examples

The 12 comparisons below illustrate cropping and recomposition using layouts with embedded text. They are fictional layout examples, not universal files ready to upload to Google, Meta or another platform. For PMax, refer to the separate-asset examples above and the applicable specifications. In particular, the gallery’s 16:9 landscape example does not replace a 1.91:1 PMax image.

1:1 / Discovery

1:1 / Evaluation

1:1 / Choice

4:5 / Discovery

4:5 / Evaluation

4:5 / Choice

9:16 / Discovery

9:16 / Evaluation

9:16 / Choice

16:9 / Discovery

16:9 / Evaluation

16:9 / Choice

What materials does your campaign need?

Start with the product or service, your objective and the assets you already have. We can discuss how the message fits the chosen channels and what needs preparing. The deliverables and checks are agreed before final production.

Who turns the direction into finished materials

At NOT MORE., we also do the production work: develop the visual direction, build compositions, write and adapt messages, prepare variants and check materials in their agreed uses. The deliverables follow the objective, placements and budget. If the direction is already approved, we can take on the adaptations as a defined assignment.

Your team confirms product information, offer conditions and rights to supplied materials. We are responsible for the creative and technical preparation we take on. Campaigns and materials are approved before activation; your approval does not replace our checks on format, legibility and destinations. When we also manage promotion, what we learn from distribution informs the next production round.