Google Unifies Vertical Video Strategy with New Ad Buying Option

Google has made it possible for advertisers to buy YouTube Shorts ads alongside open web inventory through its new Unified Vertical Video strategy. This approach integrates YouTube Shorts supply with open web placements and enables both inventory types to be purchased via Google's DV360 DSP.

Previously, advertisers could only buy YouTube Shorts inventory via Google Ads using Demand Gen (which combines inventory across Google properties) and PMax (Google's black-boxy optimization engine),

According to sell-side consultant Scott Messer in a LinkedIn post. The new strategy should help extend a portion of walled garden video budgets to the open web.

Gemini AI will handle resizing ad creative for different video formats and campaign optimization, or how budget gets allocated across Shorts and non-Shorts inventory.