Meta Expands Reels trending Ads for Major Cultural Moments

Meta used its IAB Newfronts presentation to introduce updates across Reels ads, creator partnerships, and AI-driven video tools. The announcement builds on its earlier Shoptalk updates, where the company focused on moving users from product discovery to purchase.

Reels Trending Ads Expand to Cultural Moments

In September last year, Meta rolledout Reels trending ads to advertisers globally Meta is now expanding its Reels trending ads inventory to include curated content lineups tied to major events such as Fashion Week, Formula 1, Black Friday, and NFL games.

The company is also adding new content categories including TV and movies, travel, and finance. This gives advertisers more control over where ads appear within trending conversations.

The idea, instead of reacting late to trends, brands can place ads directly alongside content that is already gaining traction.

There is also a new test for a reserve buying option. This allows advertisers to secure placements during specific high-attention windows that can last up to 24 hours. These windows are tied to events or seasonal spikes where user activity increases.

The format positions Meta's short-form video inventory as event-based premium placement, comparable to what YouTube has offered through its Masthead and Moment Blast products.

Creator partnerships get more structure in Ads Manager

Meta is also updating how advertisers work with creators through Instagram’s creator marketplace and partnership ads tools.

The creator marketplace now includes enhanced audience filtering that connects directly with custom audiences in Ads Manager. This means advertisers can search for creators whose followers match their existing targeting segments.

At the same time, Meta is rolling out a redesigned Partnership Ads Hub. According to the company, this update introduces more filtering and organization options, along with recommendations for creator content that can be turned into ads.

This builds on existing partnership ads, where brands can promote a creator’s organic post as a paid campaign.

Meta claims Instagram's creator marketplace now has more than 1.5 million discoverable creators. Facebook paid creators nearly $3 billion in 2025, a 35% year-over-year increase. These engagement figures underpin the commercial case for creator partnerships: the audience is watching, sharing, and buying through short-form video at increasing rates.

AI-Powered Creative Tools Meta tests generative AI video and translation tools

Meta is expanding its Advantage+ creative tools with new generative AI features focused on video production. One test involves generating user-generated content style videos using avatars and voiceovers. These are designed to mimic creator-style ads without requiring direct creator involvement.

Another feature allows advertisers to add AI-generated voiceovers to both video and image ads. This can be used to explain products or add context within the ad itself.

Meta is also rolling out broader translation tools. Advertisers can now translate voiceovers and text overlays into multiple languages in a single workflow within Ads Manager. The company says these updates build on its earlier video generation tool, which turns images into short videos.

Catalog ads shift from static images to video

Meta is also testing new tools that convert product catalogs into video ads automatically. Instead of uploading separate creatives, advertisers can create templates in Commerce Manager. The system then generates videos for each product using those templates.

This applies to both Facebook and Instagram, including Reels placements. Meta says its system can adjust layouts dynamically depending on available assets.

How This Compares to Google's Demand Gen Update

Google released a comparable Demand Gen update, featuring Veo-powered video generation from static images, YouTube creator partnerships integration, and an organic growth optimization option. Both platforms are converging on the same feature set: AI-generated creative, scaled creator content, and full-funnel automation.

The parallel announcements reflect a NewFronts 2026 dynamic where the platforms are matching each other feature-for-feature. For advertisers, the differentiation is less about capability and more about where audiences are spending time: Meta's Reels and Stories versus Google's YouTube Shorts, Discover, and Gmail.