Bonded Bitesize – Your Midweek Roundup

Google has quietly introduced a Social Video Upload (Beta) within Performance Max campaigns, allowing advertisers to upload up to five short-form, social-first videos directly into PMax  without first hosting them on YouTube. The update was first spotted and shared by PPC specialists in the industry and signals Google’s continued push toward short-form-first creative strategies across channels.

For PPC teams, this lowers creative friction and enables faster testing of social-native assets within Google’s automated ecosystem. Expect creative quality and format diversity to play an even bigger role in PMax optimisation going forward.
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Creativity, culture, and impact took centre stage at the TikTok Ad Awards 2025. Celebrating the very best in TikTok-first advertising, the awards spotlight campaigns that prove bold ideas and smart strategy are most powerful when they work together.

Each winning campaign impressed with fearless creativity, intelligent use of TikTok-first ad solutions, and an authentic connection with the platform’s vibrant audience. From scroll-stopping moments to campaigns that drove real-world impact, these winners set a new standard for what’s possible on TikTok.
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The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a set of social-media ads from 11 companies for promoting unverified treatments claiming to diagnose or cure conditions like ADHD, autism and prostate issues. The ruling emphasises that such conditions are medical and cannot be treated or diagnosed by supplements or unproven products, underscoring growing regulatory scrutiny of health-related digital ads. The ASA is using AI-based monitoring tools to scan vast volumes of online ads, reflecting how automated enforcement is becoming a core part of compliance in digital advertising.

For media planners and advertisers, this serves as a reminder: ensure claims are substantiated and compliant across all paid social placements to avoid sanctions.

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Meta is introducing a major feed personalisation update to Instagram Reels called “Your Algorithm,” which allows users to see and adjust the topics that surface in their Reels feed based on recent interest signals. Initially rolling out in the U.S. with broader English-speaking availability planned, the feature gives users more control over algorithmic recommendations which is similar to TikTok’s “Manage Topics.”

This is significant for advertisers and content planners: as algorithmic influence becomes more customisable, creative targeting and audience segmentation strategies may need adapting to align with user-selected interests and
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TikTok Shop is rapidly maturing as a retail commerce destination, with major UK brands such as Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer driving significant holiday-season sales through the platform. Sainsbury’s branded hub and M&S’s live-streamed product promotions helped products like Christmas pyjamas amass millions of views and sell out quickly, illustrating how short-form video and live commerce formats are converting attention into revenue. With around 1.5 billion users globally now engaging in TikTok Shop commerce and explosive Black Friday metrics (27 items sold per second at peak), social commerce is proving to be a powerhouse channel. This reinforces TikTok’s role beyond discovery and engagement and as a genuine performance advertising and retail media platform.
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