Design your own ads with
creative assets

Coming soon to Apple Ads: Promote your app with greater
creative flexibility

Creative assets are a new category of image and video options that give you the freedom to promote your app with ad creative you design. With creative assets, you can feature any part of your brand story or app experience that you’d like customers to know about. These assets are separate from the app screenshots and preview videos you use for your product pages, and they don’t require an app submission to upload and update. You can upload creative assets in App Store Connect now and they’ll be available to use in Today tab and search results ads at a later date.

 

As announced at WWDC, you can use creative assets in both organic listings and in ads.

Watch the WWDC session

An iPhone open to the App Store Today tab. A Today tab ad for the example travel app, AwayFinder, animates using beach-themed creative assets and messaging for a special promotion called The JetAway Event.

Creative freedom.
More flexibility.

Because you handle the design of creative assets, you can show off your brand and tell its story exactly the way you want. You can highlight promotions, seasonal offerings, new app content launches, and more. And you can leverage creative you’ve developed for other marketing materials to drive brand recognition and loyalty across channels. Use creative assets to design ads that promote your app on the App Store in new ways — there’s no limit to how you can customize your ad’s design and messaging.

An iPhone open to App Store search results. The term “vacation planner” is entered in the search field and a search results ad for the example travel, AwayFinder” animates using beach-themed creative assets and messaging for a special promotion called The JetAway Event.

Your unique messages. Carried through the entire
ad experience.

To provide a seamless, meaningful experience from ad impression to in-app destination, send users from your custom-designed ad to a custom product page and include a deep link. With new creative asset flexibility, you’ll be able to set up this entire ad journey directly within your Apple Ads account.

How creative assets work

Start in App Store Connect.

Design your creative assets, then upload them in App Store Connect. Creative assets don’t require an app submission update, but they do need to be approved in App Store Connect. Once they’re approved, you will be able to use eligible assets in your Apple Ads account for your ad creative at a later date.

Apple Ads will also need to review and approve your ad creative according to the creative policies below before your ads can run on the App Store. Note that review times may increase during periods with high submission volume.

Easily manage creative assets right within Apple Ads.

Approved creative assets for your entire account will be available to choose from in Apple Ads. You can use any of your assets in your campaigns, and manage localization, deep links, and tap destinations right in your Apple Ads account. When you set up an ad using creative assets, it will be reviewed by Apple Ads before it runs.

Keep in mind that the following specs apply to file uploads used as creative assets:

  • Images used in search results and Today tab ads must use a 3:2 aspect ratio with a minimum resolution of 1920 x 1280 pixels and a maximum resolution of 3840 x 2560 pixels. The file type must be .jpeg, .jpg, or .png.

  • Videos can only be used in search results ads, and must use a 3:2 aspect ratio with a minimum resolution of 1920 x 1280 pixels and a maximum resolution of 3840 x 2560 pixels. The video must be between 5-30 seconds in length, and either 30 or 60 frames per second (fps). The file type must be .mp4, .m4v, or .mov.

  • Videos can be uploaded with or without audio, but audio will not play.

  • Images and videos can include embedded text, and you can localize the text according to the countries and regions where your ads will run.

How to prepare now for the launch of creative assets

To get started, review the App Store asset best practices, which include recommendations to help you make captivating creative assets. You can also use these ready-made Photoshop design templates (static or motion) to ensure that your asset’s content is in an art-safe area.

 

After you design an asset, upload it to App Store Connect. It will need to be reviewed, and if approved, it will appear in Apple Ads when creative assets are available to use in ad creatives. Ad creatives using these assets will need to be approved in Apple Ads before the ad can run.

Creative content guidelines

Your app name, icon, subtitle, custom product page assets, and creative assets must comply with Apple Advertising Policies. We recommend reviewing all of the policies, and here are some relevant creative guidelines to get you started:

  • Your app icon, name, subtitle, custom product page assets, and creative assets can’t include content that’s considered violent, offensive, sexually explicit, or otherwise inappropriate. Images containing guns, weapons, or graphic violence are not allowed on the Today tab.

  • App icons, names, subtitles, custom product page assets, and creative assets that directly or indirectly promote or facilitate the sale of products or services that compete with Apple hardware products (e.g., mobile phones or smartphones, tablets, notebook or desktop computers) are not allowed on the Today tab.

  • Custom product page assets and creative assets can’t include distorted or blurry images, or cropped brand or promotional text. Stylistic cropping of featured imagery is allowed.

  • Pricing, offers, or other incentivized promotions are not allowed in your app icon, name, subtitle, custom product page assets, or creative assets. App rankings, app awards claims, and promoting in-app purchases are also not allowed.

  • The phrases “Game of the Day” and “App of the Day” can’t be used in your app icon, name, subtitle, custom product page assets, or creative assets for Today tab ads.

  • Your app name and subtitle must match the default language for the associated App Store country or region where your campaign is set to run.

  • The custom product page and creative assets that you use must match the default language for the associated App Store country or region where your campaign is set to run. You can include a creative asset with no text that can be used when you don’t have a localized image or video.