Dynamic display ads are the recommended way to run display campaigns on Google Ads and the Google Display Network. Dynamic ads with animations and motion graphics are more likely to catch a user’s attention and result in a click.

However, not all campaigns have the budget or time to create a full suite of HTML5 display ads recommended by Google Ads. Rather than using static image ads, .gif display ads can offer a nice balance between production cost and end results.

The Problem: Google Was Rejecting Our .gif Display Ads

The Google Ads platform is picky about which .gif assets it allows to be uploaded for use. Even worse, in our experience, we kept receiving the same error message that didn't even correctly identify the problem with the assets we were trying to upload. “We've detected strobing or Flashing effects. Make sure the frame rate of your ad is less than 5 FPS for GIFs. 

" kept popping up, despite our .gif display ads being below 5 FPS. So, what do you do?

In our experience, the answer lies within specifically, how you are exporting the animation from After Effects into a .mov file and then, what method you are using for compression and how you are converting that compressed file into a .gif. Previously, we created .gif display assets as a video file exported from 

 at 4fps, then converted that .mov into a compressed, web optimized .mp4 using 

's free video compression tool and lastly, to a .gif using Photoshop’s import “video frame to layers” feature, or 

free video to .gif conversion platform. It's a process, but one that met the picky standards of Google. Until it didn't. 

Assets produced this way were being denied by Google Ads and causing frustration. We had to figure out why. It took some trial and error, but the solution to this issue is relatively simple. Once you know it.


The Solution: Export .gif Ads as PNG Sequences from After Effects

The solution that we found to make Google Ads accept our .gif ad assets was instead of exporting them from After Effects as a .mov and converting that .mov file to a .gif file; we exported as a "png sequence" for each ad. Essentially a series of images/frames rather than a movie. This allowed us to have full control over the mysterious frame rate issue and the png images/frames rendered higher quality as a frame by frame animation rather than a .mov file, converted to an animated .gif. We then used the png sequence and brought the series of images into Photoshop to create the .gif files for use in Google Ads. A step by step breakdown of this process:

Create your dynamic animation for the display ads in After Effects

Export your dynamic display ads as a .png sequence from After Effects

Import your series of images into your Timeline in Photoshop as “frames”

Customize your frame rate, timing and tweening 

Export for web from Photoshop as a looping .gif

A few parameters that Google Ads has in regards to these ads that you should keep in mind include:

The simpler the animation, the easier this is to meet

Animation length must be 30 seconds or shorter - 

Recommend a short, looping animation. You don't have a users attention for long with display ads. Make the movement more ambient rather than necessary to the message  

Animations can be looped, but the animations must stop after 30 seconds

Animated GIF ads must be slower than 5 FPS - 

Make sure you set your frame rate in step 1 - Go to After Effects > Compositions Settings > Frame Rate to adjust

Full Display Ads Specifications from Google

So there you have it, use this process to create .gif display ads accepted by Google Ads. There are other ways to do it, but we've found this process to provide the best quality, the most control and the best chance to meet the 150kb max file size requirement.

Remember, if your budget or production timeline is tight, .gif display ads are the perfect solution for your next campaign. Good luck!

Marketing Strategy

Graphic Design

Marketing Campaigns

How To Upload .gif Display Ads to Google Ads

One of the unique values of working with VIA Studio is our ability to manage and integrate brand, marketing strategy, and digital seamlessly. You'll see this reflected in our work with our most valued clients, such as WARE.

In late Summer 2020, we began a partnership with WARE Inc., a commercial & industrial boiler rental and service company specializing in sales, rentals, service, parts, and boiler training. WARE was looking for a partner with strong digital skills and enthusiasm to match theirs. WARE was already a well-oiled machine with a digital marketing ecosystem that included their 

, ongoing digital campaigns, a CRM system that needed to be migrated, and a list of work they wanted to get started on as quickly as possible.

One of the first tasks we undertook after beginning our partnership was an extensive audit of WARE’s ongoing paid search campaigns. We immediately took stock of what was working well and should continue, what needed to be updated to improve performance, and collaborated with WARE on creating campaigns to take advantage of uncovered areas of opportunity.

With the audit complete, the first campaigns we set up on behalf of WARE was a boiler rental campaign that targeted users in Texas and surrounding areas. This campaign had an immediate impact as shortly after it was launched, the February 2021 blizzard in Texas knocked numerous plants and facilities offline, and WARE was able to help these areas with fast and efficient boiler rental services.

VIA Studio also launched campaigns to support WARE’s boiler room parts and supplies website 

A product-specific campaign to promote their introduction of Armstrong traps 

A general awareness display campaign promoting the website to boiler technicians, plant and facility operators, and others in boiler and boiler-adjacent fields.

Along with the digital marketing campaigns, we quickly got to work making a slew of enhancements to 

. After completing a thorough analytics and user experience (UX) audit, we discovered that site search was how most users were navigating the site and making purchases. Leveraging a predictive search service, 

, we enhanced the site search experience to make it predictive - making the search far faster and more functional.

Lastly, we developed product wishlists for BoilerWAREhouse.com so boiler technicians can easily keep track of products they regularly purchase but perhaps not at regular intervals. These product wishlists can be set up for specific boiler rooms they work on, products specific to a piece of equipment, or however the purchasing technician needs to keep track of their supplies.

A vital part of every website enhancement implemented on BoilerWAREhouse.com are user experience considerations. Each update was planned and executed with user experience front of mind for our design team, in collaboration with the VIA strategy and dev teams. User flows, barriers to conversion, and web design best practices were at the forefront of every update. 

Whenever possible, user data from Google Analytics and 

, an all-in-one conversion optimization suite, was leveraged to ensure we were informing our decisions with user data.


Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Services

When we began our partnership with WARE, they were using 

 as their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform but asked for our help to migrate to a new platform, 

. In conjunction with WARE’s internal team, we migrated their customer and lead data, set up lead services for their various website forms, QA the new service, and wind down their use of HubSpot.

With their data and services migrated to their new CRM service, we got to work setting up visual workflows for their various lead forms to make sure that users were receiving proper automated email follow-ups, our and being informed about additional, relevant services from WARE.

Similar to the visual workflows, we also created a cart abandonment email workflow for BoilerWAREhouse users. These cart abandonment emails remind users of products that have been left in their carts and encourage them to return to the website to complete their purchase. These cart abandonment emails can also include promo codes in the future to further entice users to complete purchases.

With general workflows in place, VIA Studio is now working with WARE to leverage personas and customized workflows to ensure that all automated communication from WARE is relevant to the user, their role, and their needs. These workflows based on personas will offer an even greater level of personalized content and customization.

In addition to our technical services like website updates and CRM management, we are thrilled to have opportunities to flex our creative muscles with WARE and assist them with content generation for various marketing needs.

One of the first tasks we undertook for the WAREInc.com website was managing 

 and creating content for it. We started with an audit of their current blog articles to determine what content resonated most with their audience and recorded the most engagement. We also reviewed WARE’s YouTube channel, 

, for inspiration as well. We ultimately agreed to a blog publishing frequency of 2 articles per month with all new content and custom imagery.

We develop social media content calendars on a monthly interval to ensure WARE is always active on their various social media platforms. This content includes the promotion of services, blog content, and observations of holidays and staff achievements.

Another content generation project that we launched at the start of this year, a quarterly email newsletter. This newsletter ensures the latest WARE news, services, and promotions are regularly delivered directly to subscribers’ inboxes. Given the amount of content generated each quarter on behalf of WARE, it often acts as an overview of some “in case you missed it” pieces, with a couple of new elements developed specifically for the newsletter.

A year into our relationship with WARE and our partnership has been even more fruitful than either party could have anticipated. WARE’s strong desire for a truly collaborative partner who can not only accomplish their ongoing work but be bringing them new and exciting ideas to execute has kept the WARE account team on their toes, but to be honest, we wouldn’t have it any other way!

And if you think we're just blowing steam, take our client's word for it!

"After several marketing firms and many missed deadlines, we have finally found someone that is both creative, technical and on time. Working with VIA has been a breath of fresh air as their guidance, new ideas, organization, technical ability and customer service has been exactly what we have been looking for. We are excited for the future to keep dreaming and planning with their team. Finally our success is in partnership with a firm that gets it."

Marketing Campaigns

Marketing Campaigns: Case Studies

01

ScholarRx

02

The Great VIA Speling Bee

Marketing Campaigns: Blog Posts

How To Upload .gif Display Ads to Google Ads

WARE + VIA Studio: A Partnership that can Handle the Pressure