Last Wednesday, May 21, 2025, marked the 13th edition of Google Marketing Live. Each year, this must-attend event showcases the best of Google’s advertising innovation. And this year did not disappoint: artificial intelligence, automation, and new ways to capture consumer attention were at the heart of the announcements.
Didn’t have time to catch everything? Here are three major updates that stood out to us.
The “Power Pack”: Google Ads’ First Trio
After the “Big Three” of J. Cole, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar, Google now introduces its own winning trio: Performance Max, AI Max, and Demand Gen.
Now known collectively as the “Power Pack,” this trio represents the next generation of AI-powered advertising campaigns, designed to cover every stage of the customer journey—from discovery to conversion.
A quick refresher:
Performance Max: Reaches across all Google channels (Search, YouTube, Display, Gmail, Discover, Maps) with one clear goal: drive new conversions.
AI Max: A keyword-less Search campaign focused on user intent (more on this below 👀).
Demand Gen: Built to generate top-of-funnel demand with engaging visuals, particularly on YouTube and Gmail.
Google also announced several enhancements to these formats. Among the updates, we found:
- Greater transparency in reporting (especially for Performance Max, often criticised as a “black box”);
- New AI-powered creative tools;
- Improved audience and performance management.
In short, Google is offering a smarter, more complete advertising solution designed to deliver stronger performance at every stage of the customer journey.
There’s no need to fear the Power Pack campaigns—but it’s crucial to adopt them gradually and with control. These tools have great potential if integrated with your goals, business reality, and data in mind.
AI Overviews & AI Mode: Ads Embedded in AI Responses
In 2025, people no longer search the web the way they used to.
Gone are the days of typing a few keywords into Google and clicking on a series of blue links. Today, search is more personalised, more conversational… and above all, powered by AI.
After launching AI Overviews in 2024—AI-generated summaries directly in search results—Google has now introduced AI Mode: an even more interactive experience, much like a conversation with ChatGPT… but with one key difference.
Here’s the big news: Google is the first to integrate advertising into AI environments.
While other generative AI tools remain ad-free (for now), Google sees this as an opportunity. Ads can now appear contextually—around or within generated responses. For example, if someone searches “I want to start an online store, where should I begin?”, a Shopify ad could naturally appear as a relevant suggestion.
This marks a major shift, opening new doors for savvy advertisers. At Espace M, we recommend adapting strategies now. In a world increasingly driven by automation, creative assets (images, headlines, videos) are your biggest edge. They’re what grab attention in AI environments and set you apart from competitors.
AI is rewriting the rules. It’s up to you to take advantage—with the right strategies, and the right team. 😉
AI Max: Search Without Keywords
Part of the Power Pack, AI Max signals a major shift in how Search works on Google.
Launched in May 2025, AI Max disrupts the foundations of traditional Search by eliminating keywords altogether. Instead, it relies entirely on AI to understand user intent and serve the most relevant ads.
According to Google, this method can achieve up to +27% performance improvement over traditional keyword-based campaigns (“exact match” or “phrase match”).
Of course, this level of automation raises concerns, particularly about loss of control and transparency. But it reflects a deeper trend: search behaviours are evolving, influenced by tools like ChatGPT, where users ask full questions rather than typing isolated keywords.
Conclusion
In summary, Google Marketing Live 2025 marked a major turning point in digital advertising. This year, AI was the star of the show—with a clear mission: to make campaigns smarter, more automated, and better aligned with evolving consumer behaviours.
We believe advertisers must rethink how they work to fully leverage these innovations and boost campaign performance. But like with any new technology, it’s important to test, compare results, and adjust based on each advertiser’s reality.
As for SEO, major adjustments are expected… we’ll cover that in an upcoming article.
Naturally, many other features were announced at GML 2025, from creative tools to performance tracking. To see all the updates, check the link below: https://business.google.com/us/accelerate/gml-announcements/
Or contact us at Espace M! We’d be happy to chat and see how these innovations can fit into your marketing strategy.
