The creative library stores all creatives uploaded to Ad Manager, including those added to line items directly. Creatives added to the creative library directly must first be associated with an advertiser. Creatives added to line items are associated with the advertiser specified in the line item's order.
Creatives in the creative library may be used in line items where the advertiser specified in the order is the same as that associated the creative. You may also copy creatives in the creative library to repurpose them.
Find creatives
Creatives are organized in the creative library under Delivery Creatives.
A standard creative is a stand-alone ad, while a master/companion allows for a main ad with other, secondary ads that serve with the main ad.
Different creative types are found under:
- Display creatives
Find display creative types, which include template-based creatives and all native video creatives.
"Display creatives" also shows master creatives without their companions. Master creatives are listed under "Master/companion" with their companions.
- Master/companion
Find Masters and their companions only of the display creative type (no VAST creatives or their companions).
- VAST creatives
Find video and audio creative types, along with their optional companions.
Add new creatives
Line items are restricted to creatives in the library that contain the same sizes as the sizes specified in the line item, along with being restricted to creatives from the library that align with the creative type or other creative requirements of the line item.
You can add different types of creatives. If you're not familiar with the different types, take a look at the types of display creatives or the types of video and audio creatives.
To add a creative to the creative library:
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Navigate to Delivery
Creatives and then:
- Display creatives
- Standard
- Master/companion
- VAST creatives
- Display creatives
- Click New creative.
- Select an advertiser and click OK.
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Choose from the applicable display or video and audio creative types.
If need to add a native format, custom creative template, or standard template, you'll need to select a template from a list and click Continue.
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Fill out the required information or upload required assets and click Save.
Creative requirements
The information or assets required vary depending on the creative type selected. To learn more about each creative type, visit these help center articles:
Activate or deactivate
New creatives are set to "Active" by default and can be associated with line items immediately. You can deactivate or activate creatives from the table at Delivery Creatives. Creative ineligible for deactivation in this table include:
- Creatives belonging to a master/companion set
- VAST creatives
Deactivated creatives make all their line item creative associations inactive and can't be added to line items until they're reactivated. Learn more in Creative status.
Copy creatives
You can copy creatives to make new versions:
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Navigate to Delivery
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Select creatives you want to copy.
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Click Copy to copy the creatives under the same advertiser or Copy to... to select a different advertiser.
Copied creatives have the same name, appended with "(copy)", assets and settings as the originals.
Restrictions to copying creatives
- Creatives with custom assets or created from creative templates can be copied to another advertiser only once.
- Video creatives can't be copied to a different advertiser.
Creative status
Association status vs creative status
There are two statuses to be aware about for creatives:
- Status of the creative itself
- Status of the line item creative association
If you're not familiar with the difference between these statuses, review Creative association vs creative status to learn more. You'll better understand the interaction between creative status and association status as described in this section.
The status of a creative can be deactivated or re-activated at any time. New creatives are set to "Active" by default. There's no need to change creative status for a new unless you need to deactivate it.
Deactivated creatives:
- Make all their line item creative associations inactive
- Can't be added to line items until they're reactivated
Deactivation of the creative itself deactivates all of its creative associations as well. When a creative association is inactive, the creative stops displaying to users.
Reactivated creatives can be associated with new line items again. However, line item creative associations must be reactivated before they can display to users again via those line items. Learn more about how to change creative association.
Some creatives are ineligible for deactivation because they might affect the serving of master/companion creatives in the set. Creatives ineligible for deactivation include:
- Creatives belonging to a master/companion set
- VAST creatives
Deactivated creatives trigger an Ad Manager alert, so that you get a missing creatives notification.
