In the fast-paced world of digital advertising, understanding the unique strengths of image and video ads is crucial for creating impactful campaigns. Image ads remain the economical workhorse for clicks and conversions, while video keeps winning attention and engagement. Here is how the two formats compare on real performance data, and the creative trends shaping how marketers use them in 2026.
Performance metrics: what the 2024 and 2025 data shows
The clearest way to compare the two formats is on the numbers. Benchmarks gathered across 2024 and 2025 tell a consistent story, and the same patterns are still holding in 2026:
- Cost-effectiveness: Image ads have proven to be the more economical choice, with around a 24% lower cost per purchase compared with video ads.
- Click-through rate (CTR): Image ads also boast a roughly 7% higher CTR, indicating they often drive more immediate engagement.
- Engagement and virality: Video ads comfortably outperform image ads on engagement. Social media videos generate around 1,200% more shares than text and images combined.
- Consumer influence: A whopping 91% of consumers say they want to see more online video content from brands.
In short, image ads win on efficiency and video ads win on attention. Neither format beats the other outright, which is exactly why the strategic split below matters more than picking a favourite.
Strategic applications
Top-of-funnel (awareness): Video ads are particularly effective at building brand awareness and creating emotional connections with audiences. Their shareability ensures broader exposure for top-of-funnel campaigns.
Bottom-of-funnel (conversions): Image ads, with their cost-effectiveness and higher CTRs, excel in retargeting efforts and driving conversions once someone already knows who you are.
Not sure how to split a budget between the two? Our Google Ads management service plans the format mix around your goals and measures both against real conversions rather than vanity metrics.
Creative trends to watch in 2026
To stay ahead in 2026, marketers should lean on the following creative strategies:
- Short-form video dominance: Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts continue to thrive, with short-form videos capturing audience attention in seconds. Vertical, sub-60-second cuts are now the default rather than the experiment.
- AI-powered personalisation: Artificial intelligence has gone from redefining ad targeting to being built into every major platform, enabling real-time adjustments and automatically generated creative variants. Strong source assets matter more than ever as a result.
- Soundless and accessible ads: With many users consuming content without sound, ads must communicate visually while being accessible to all viewers. In Europe this is no longer optional: the European Accessibility Act has been in force since June 2025, so captions, contrast and readable text are baseline requirements.
- Authenticity and user-generated content (UGC): Incorporating UGC builds trust and relatability, which resonates with modern consumers, especially as audiences get sharper at spotting fully AI-generated creative.
- Interactive and shoppable videos: Interactive features, such as shoppable elements in video ads, drive direct engagement and simplify the path to purchase. If you sell online, pair this with the fundamentals in our guide to Google Ads for ecommerce.
Conclusion
Both image and video ads hold unique advantages in the digital marketing ecosystem. Image ads have consistently emerged as the cost-effective option with higher CTRs, while video ads have proved superior for engagement and brand awareness. For a successful marketing campaign, combine both formats strategically: use video ads to drive awareness and emotional engagement at the top of the funnel, and deploy image ads to retarget and convert audiences at later stages. This balanced approach maximises your campaign impact and return on investment.
Want the numbers side handled for you? See how our Google Ads / PPC team runs image and video campaigns against real revenue, or pick up some quick wins from our Google Ads tips.
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