Google is changing how advertisers build and measure Demand Gen campaigns on YouTube. In its June 2026 Demand Gen Drop, published on the Accelerate with Google platform, Google announced three updates to the campaign type: expanded video aspect ratio transformations powered by AI, Gemini-powered creative recommendations integrated directly into the asset selection workflow, and a new Web to App Acquisition Measurement feature now available to all advertisers.
Demand Gen campaigns run across Google's most visual surfaces, including YouTube, Shorts, Discover, Gmail, and the Google Display Network. Google began publishing monthly Demand Gen Drops in September 2025 as a regular format for rolling out new features at a rapid pace.
Expanded Video Resizing Across Aspect Ratios
Demand Gen will soon support broader aspect ratio transformations, including vertical to square, vertical to landscape, and square to landscape, making it easier to optimize ads and capture conversions across all screens. The capability builds on existing video enhancement tools already available in the platform.
The approach uses generative AI to extend videos based on the existing scene, automatically resizing the video into any missing aspect ratio. Previously, advertisers had to produce separate video files for each format. The feature is designed to help advertisers adapt creative assets for different screen formats without producing separate versions.
Gemini Recommendations During Asset Selection
Google is also embedding Gemini directly into the Demand Gen campaign creation workflow. Gemini will provide automated recommendations on how to optimize creative for YouTube when advertisers select image and video assets. The feature is listed as coming soon, meaning it is not yet live at the time of the June announcement.
The integration positions Gemini as a pre-launch quality check rather than a post-campaign analysis tool. Advertisers will receive asset-level guidance on YouTube optimization at the point of upload, before a campaign goes live.
Web to App Acquisition Measurement Now Available
The third update is the only one confirmed as currently active. The new Web to App Acquisition Measurement feature helps advertisers understand exactly how their web campaigns are driving new app installs and first in-app conversions, and for the first time, those insights can be attributed directly to web campaigns, giving a more accurate view of campaign performance.
The Web to App Acquisition Measurement feature enables tracking of app installs generated by web campaigns for the first time within Google Ads reporting. The expanded Web to App Connect capability now allows advertisers to drive clicks directly to their app from YouTube Ads, Hotel Ads, and Demand Gen campaigns, in addition to Performance Max, Search, and Shopping campaigns, with a seamless deep linking experience on both iOS and Android devices.
New Customer Acquisition on YouTube
Google cited third-party research in the June announcement to reinforce Demand Gen's value for customer acquisition. According to Google, data from the measurement platform Measured shows that 72% of incremental conversions on YouTube come from new customers.
In the past year alone, Demand Gen has seen a 26% increase in conversions per dollar, driven by more than 60 AI-powered improvements to ramp time, bidding, and other platform updates. The June additions extend that trajectory into creative production and measurement attribution.
Implications for Paid Media Advertisers
For advertisers managing Demand Gen campaigns, the video resizing update reduces the need to produce multiple format-specific edits from a single source asset, a production step that typically requires either dedicated creative resources or additional agency costs. The Gemini creative recommendations, once available, will allow asset review against YouTube-specific optimization criteria before spend begins, rather than after. The Web to App Acquisition Measurement feature addresses a long-standing gap for advertisers running both web and app campaigns, giving them a single reporting view to assess whether Demand Gen activity is contributing to app install volume and downstream in-app conversions.
Google directed advertisers to Accelerate with Google to learn more about the June Demand Gen updates.
