Ultimate Guide to AI-Powered TV Commercials Tools

TV advertising is undergoing a quiet revolution thanks to artificial intelligence. Small business owners, franchisees, and digital agency marketers can now create high-quality TV commercials faster and more affordably than ever before.

In this post, we’ll explore the top AI tools for producing TV commercials, their pros and cons, and how much it might cost to create a 30-second AI-generated video ad.

Best AI Tools for Video Ad Generation

As of 2025, the field is evolving quickly. New updates (like Midjourney’s first video beta and Waymark’s Cinematic mode) are arriving every few months. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on the latest developments. The good news: AI is lowering the barrier to entry for TV advertising. What once took tens of thousands of dollars and weeks of production can now be done in a day for a few hundred bucks or less. That’s a win for marketers and creators, as it opens up the big screen to businesses of all sizes.

1. Google Veo 3: Cutting-Edge AI Video Generation with Sound

Google’s Veo 3 is an advanced text-to-video model from DeepMind that stands out for one key feature: it generates video with integrated audio. This means you can prompt not only the visuals you want, but also music, sound effects, or even spoken dialogue – a game changer for AI-generated video ads. Veo 3 excels in realism, with smooth motion and physics, producing clips that can be nearly indistinguishable from live-action footage. It’s the closest AI has come to “movie magic” on demand, and you could use it to generate anything from a cinematic 8-second product shot to a full mini-ad (by chaining multiple clips with Google’s Flow tool).

Pricing: $249 per month

Free Trial Available: no

It’s pricey, but that plan offers access to Google’s most advanced models (including the Flow feature that strings clips into longer videos ). There’s no pay-per-video option publicly – you’ll need the subscription. For a 30-second commercial, you would essentially be paying $249 (one month), during which you can generate as many clips as needed (Veo 3 typically outputs 8-second scenes, so you’d combine ~4 of them).

Pros:

• Best-in-class visuals and audio: Generates photorealistic video with sound in one go – no need to separately add music or voiceovers. This unique audio integration gives it an edge for complete ads.

• High realism: Motion and physics are impressively accurate, making scenarios look natural. Many Veo 3 clips are “nearly indistinguishable from human-made videos,” showcasing how far the tech has come.

• Cinematic potential: Suitable for creative, cinematic ads – e.g., short film-like spots or high-concept commercials. It handles complex prompts and even dialogues that other generators can’t.
  
  

Cons:

• Very expensive for small businesses: At $249/month, it’s a steep cost. This is an “experimental” tool with notable bugs still, so you’re paying a premium for cutting-edge tech that’s not perfect yet.

• Limited clip length: Each generation is about 8 seconds long . To make a 30s commercial you must stitch multiple outputs together using an editor or Google’s Flow (which is included, but adds complexity).

• Still in beta: Veo 3 can glitch or produce errors. Early users note it’s not seamless yet – you may need to re-render prompts or tweak them to avoid weird artifacts. Support and documentation are also limited since it’s so new.

Note: We have a Guide on How to make an AI commercial, check it!

2. Waymark: Instant Commercials in Minutes (Integrated with Skybeam)

Waymark is an AI-powered video ad creation platform that focuses specifically on making TV-ready commercials quickly and easily. It’s the engine behind Skybeam’s own AI creative tool – in fact, Skybeam has partnered with Waymark to build AI-generated TV commercial creation directly into the Skybeam platform. With Waymark, you can produce a 30-second spot in minutes, not weeks. The system can pull your business info (logo, images, slogans) from your website and auto-generate a polished ad complete with voiceover and graphics. Small local TV stations and media companies are already using Waymark to churn out affordable commercials for clients, leveling the playing field for small businesses.

Pricing: free for Skybeam users!

Pros:

• Ridiculously fast and easy: Waymark lets you create broadcast-quality 30s commercials in minutes with just a few clicks. It automates script writing, voice narration, and even branding (auto-fetching your logo/colors) – no video editing skills needed.

• Integrated with distribution: Since it’s built into Skybeam’s platform, you can generate an ad and immediately launch a TV campaign with it. For example, Skybeam + Waymark can push your finished ad to streaming TV channels (Hulu, Peacock, etc.) or local cable spots within the same interface. *Streaming advertising has never been so easy!*

• Cost-effective vs. traditional production: it’s vastly cheaper than hiring a production crew. A national TV commercial typically costs six figures and takes weeks, but Waymark’s AI Cinematic tech recently produced a full 30-second CTV ad in 48 hours (using an AI version of boxer Jake Paul). Generative AI removes many of the budget and scheduling constraints of filming.

• Polished, customizable templates: Waymark provides templates and styles optimized for ads (e.g., upbeat pacing, clear calls-to-action). You can still customize the voiceover script, music genre, text overlays, and swap visuals easily to fit your brand. The result is a professional ad spot that’s unique to your business but follows best practices in style.

Cons:

• Subscription model and output limits: The Starter plan’s price ($399) might be steep if you only need one ad occasionally. It allows only two final video downloads per month – any more requires upgrading or paying extra. For very small businesses with tight budgets, this could be a barrier.

• Less creative freedom: Waymark’s strength is in templated, fast production, which also means you don’t get complete free-form control. Ads tend to follow a formula (previously motion-graphics heavy, though the new Cinematic mode is more flexible ). If your concept is highly unusual or artistic, Waymark might feel a bit limiting compared to using a general AI model + manual editing.

• Dependent on provided assets: The quality of the output partially depends on your existing brand assets. Waymark will pull images from your website or use stock footage. If your website is sparse (or you dislike stock visuals), you’ll need to upload your own pictures/video for the best result. It’s not generating novel visuals from scratch like Veo or Runway; it’s assembling and stylizing with AI assistance.

If you’re looking for speed and simplicity, Waymark (especially via Skybeam’s self-serve platform) is a game-changer. It truly makes launching a TV ad as easy as digital now!

3. Kling: Budget-Friendly AI for Custom Video Clips

Kling is an emerging AI video ad generator that turns text (and images) into short, high-definition video clips. It’s gained popularity for product showcase videos – for example, creating an AI-generated model to show off a clothing line or a gadget in action. Kling even has a feature called Elements that lets you upload reference images (up to 4) – such as a product photo, a logo, or a specific character – and the AI will incorporate them into the generated video. This makes it great for commercials that need specific brand visuals or people. Imagine generating a mini ad of a virtual spokesperson wearing your apparel and presenting your product, all for a fraction of what a studio shoot would cost.

Pricing: starts from $25 per month

Free Trial Available: yes

A 30-second commercial would likely involve stringing together a few 5–10 second Kling clips (since each generation tends to be that long ). So effectively, $25 could cover producing a 30s ad if you’re willing to do a bit of editing. There’s no per-video rendering fee; it’s all included in the subscription. This is an incredibly low price point to get video content (it’s DIY, of course, but powerful for the cost).

Pros:

• Affordable for individuals: At ~$25/month, Kling is within reach for small businesses or solo marketers . It’s much cheaper than most other AI video services, yet gives you high-def results.

• Image integration for branding: You can feed in your product photos or logo to ensure the generated video features your actual product (in a realistic 3D manner). This is perfect for, say, showing a realistic AI model wearing your clothing or holding your item.

• Fast improvements: The developers keep enhancing it (Kling v1.6 boasts ~195% speed boost in generation). It can generate a 5–10 second clip in just 2–5 minutes, even on standard hardware. This speed makes iteration and prompt-tweaking quite convenient.

• Decent quality and creative control: While not as ultra-real as Google’s model, Kling produces good 720p or 1080p clips with coherent motion. It understands fairly complex prompts and can apply different styles or “moods” to match your brand. You have options for High-Quality vs. High-Performance mode when generating (quality gives better visuals, performance is faster).

Cons:

• Short clip limitation: Like many generative models, Kling outputs only a few seconds per prompt (often ~8 seconds). Making a longer commercial means combining multiple clips and transitions manually. There’s no built-in “storyboard” mode in Kling, so editing is on you.

• Some consistency issues: If you need the same character or product shown across multiple shots, Kling can struggle with consistency. One workaround is using the Elements feature with the same reference image each time, but it may still vary. This can make multi-scene ads a bit tricky to look perfectly continuous.

• Limited audio support: Kling focuses on visuals; it doesn’t natively generate voiceover or music. You’ll need to add your own audio track. That said, pairing it with a separate AI voice generator (e.g., ElevenLabs) is common, but it’s an extra step to plan for.

• Learning curve for best results: Getting “stunning” outputs might require some prompt engineering and experimentation. As some users note, more customization options would be nice, e.g., finer control of camera angles or lighting. If you’re not somewhat tech-savvy, the raw Kling interface could feel less intuitive than a polished platform like Waymark.

4. Runway Gen-2 (and Gen-3/4): Versatile Text-to-Video for Creators

Runway is a well-known creative AI suite, and its Gen-2 model brought text-to-video generation to the masses. Runway’s tools are geared toward content creators and artists, but they can absolutely be used to craft TV ad content. With Runway Gen-2 (and the evolving Gen-3/Gen-4 models in 2025), you can input a text prompt to generate a short video scene (use Runway as Aan AI video generator from ascript), or even provide an image or video as a starting point to influence the output. It’s quite flexible – there are modes for pure text-to-video, text+image combinations, stylizing an existing video, and more.

Pricing: starts from $12/month

Free Trial Available: yes

Runway uses a credit-based model that’s very cost-effective. They advertise about $0.05 per second of video generated as the pay-as-you-go rate. In practice, the Standard plan is $12/month (billed annually), which gives 625 credits – roughly enough for ~50 seconds of highest-quality video generation each month. There’s also a free tier (125 credits one-time, ~25 seconds of output to play with). For heavy use, an Unlimited plan is ~$95/month for unrestricted generations.

For a single 30-second ad, you could easily do it within the $12 plan’s credits (or even the free trial, if you optimize!). Approximate cost: $1.50 of credits for 30 seconds at standard quality, though you do need at least a monthly subscription to use it. In summary, Runway is one of the cheapest per-video options, especially if you only need a small amount of content and can stick to the lower plans.

Pros:

• Low barrier to entry: Free trial credits and a $12/mo plan make Runway super accessible. A small business can experiment with AI video without a big investment. If you only need one or two short videos, you might spend well under $20 in credit costs – a huge win for budget marketing.

• Multiple creative modes: Runway isn’t just one model – it offers over 30 AI tools and modes. For video generation, you can do text-to-video, image-to-video, apply specific styles, or even provide rough storyboards for the AI to flesh out . This flexibility lets you create more complex multi-shot commercials by guiding the AI for each scene.

• Integrated editor and assets: Unlike most generators, Runway comes with a full online video editor and asset storage. You can generate clips, then edit and stitch them on the same platform, add captions, transitions, and more. No need for a separate editing software. It even has stock music and sound effects you can drop in.

• Commercial usage rights: Content you make in Runway is yours to use freely – you retain ownership and can use it in ads with no IP issues. (Always double-check any stock assets you include, but the generative outputs are cleared for business use.)

• Fast improvement cycle: Runway has been continually updating (Gen-1 to Gen-2 to Gen-3 Alpha, now Gen-4 models), and each iteration gets better resolution and coherence. They recently introduced 1080p output and things like motion tracking and “custom actors” via Act Two. It’s an active platform, so you benefit from new features regularly.

Cons:

• Quality not top-tier (yet): While good, Runway’s video results are generally not as photorealistic as Google’s Veo or as polished as a human-edited commercial. You might notice some warping or AI artifacts if you push it to complex scenes. It’s improving rapidly, but for now, think of it as “great for quick visuals or stylized looks” rather than perfectly realistic footage.

• Short duration per clip: Gen-2 typically outputs just a few seconds per generation (often ~4–6 seconds). You can get longer by using “Storyboard” mode or chaining, but you will likely need to piece together multiple segments for a 30s spot. This requires some editing work and careful prompting to ensure consistency between segments.

• No built-in voiceover: Runway doesn’t generate spoken audio as part of the video prompt. You can separately use its AI voice tool (for lip-synced talking avatars) or import your own voiceover/music. This means assembling the final ad will involve manually adding audio tracks to the editor.

• Credit management: The credit system, while fair, can be a bit confusing. Higher-quality modes consume more credits per second, etc. If you run out of credits mid-project, you might need to purchase more or upgrade. Unlimited plans are available, but jump in cost. So, keep an eye on your credit usage when iterating on a video to avoid surprises.

5. Midjourney: Ultra-Creative Visuals (Now with Limited Video via “Animate”)

Midjourney is famous as an AI image generator, but it has recently dipped a toe into video generation. Midjourney’s approach to video is a bit different: instead of prompting a video from scratch, you generate an image first and then use an “animate” function to turn that image into a short video clip. This can be done with your own images or ones created in Midjourney. While this video feature is still basic (you can’t script a full scene or add audio within Midjourney), it’s worth mentioning because Midjourney’s strength is creative, artistic visuals. If you need a very imaginative or stylized commercial – say, a surreal animation or a striking art-inspired ad – Midjourney might provide the unique look you’re going for. Just be aware that it’s not as straightforward to make traditional ads.

Pricing: starts with $10/month

The Basic plan is $10/month, Standard is $30/month, and Pro $60/month (with some annual discounts). Video generation (the animate feature) is available on all paid tiers, but it uses significantly more of your GPU time allowance (about 8x a normal image job). In practice, the $30 Standard plan is a popular choice, giving you roughly 15 hours of generation, which is plenty for hundreds of images or dozens of short animations.

There’s no direct “per video” cost – it’s all included in your sub. For a 30-second ad, since Midjourney’s animations are just a few seconds each, you would need to generate multiple and edit them together externally. This could fit in a $30 plan usage-wise, but it’s hard to quantify precisely. Let’s say $30 covers the visual generation, plus your time editing and adding sound externally.

Pros:

• Unmatched creativity and style: Midjourney is known for its artistic flair. It excels at producing visuals that are beautiful, imaginative, and sometimes abstract. If you want your commercial to have a distinct aesthetic (painting-like, fantasy, cyberpunk, etc.), Midjourney can deliver highly original imagery. It’s less about realism and more about evoking feeling, which can set your ad apart in a creative way.

• Personalized and fun to use: The system learns your style preferences (you even rank images to tailor the AI to your tastes). Over time, using Midjourney feels like collaborating with a quirky art director who “gets” your brand vibe. This can be fun and inspiring for marketers looking to brainstorm visual ideas. Even if you don’t use the raw output, it’s great for concept art or storyboarding.

• High-resolution images: Midjourney outputs stills at high quality (up to 1024px or more), which you can animate slightly. These can be used as hero shots in a commercial or printed material. The fidelity and detail in static frames often exceed what current text-to-video models produce. For example, you might generate a stunning product render or scene in Midjourney, then use a subtle animation to give it motion.

• Multiple use cases beyond video: With a Midjourney subscription, you’re primarily paying for image generation. Those images can feed into other video tools (like using them in Runway or Kling as background or elements). So it’s a versatile tool in your arsenal for all creative content, not just the ad video itself.

Cons:

• Not built for full videos: Midjourney’s video generation is very limited. You cannot directly prompt a narrative or scene; you only animate a single image and let the AI decide the motion. This means you have little control over how the animation plays out – it might zoom, pan, or morph in ways you didn’t plan. For a coherent 30s commercial, this is hard to use as-is.

• No sound or voice capabilities: Midjourney provides no audio at all in its outputs . Any music, sound effects, or voiceover must be added later in a video editor. Essentially, Midjourney can give you visuals (and now a bit of motion), but you’ll need to do post-production to assemble those visuals into an actual ad with timing and sound.

• Potentially inconsistent style in motion: Because the video feature just makes an image move, if you chain multiple Midjourney clips, you might notice style shifts or lack of continuity between them. Ensuring consistency (same character or setting across shots) is not straightforward unless you use the exact same initial image as a base for each segment.

• Requires editing and technical effort: Using Midjourney for an ad would involve a lot of manual work: prompting and refining images, animating each, then editing them together with external software and adding audio. For most small business needs, this is probably more effort than it’s worth – unless the visual style is your top priority and other tools can’t achieve it. In short, Midjourney isn’t a turnkey ad maker; it’s a creative tool you could leverage with enough effort.

6. Leonardo AI: Creative Suite with Image-to-Video for Ads

Leonardo AI is another multi-modal creative platform, similar in spirit to Midjourney, but oriented towards providing a full toolkit (imagine Midjourney + Canva + some video). It started as an image generator popular for game assets and concept art, and has since introduced an AI Video Generator that can turn still images into animations. With Leonardo, you can generate high-quality images (e.g., your product in a scene, or a mascot character, etc.) and then animate those images to add motion. This makes it quite useful for creating animated storyboards, product spins, or illustrative commercials. For marketers, that means you could train it on your brand’s style or specific character and then produce a series of visuals or short video loops that match perfectly.

Pricing: starts from $12/month

Free Trial Available: yes

Leonardo has tiered plans, starting from around $12/month (Apprentice) up to $60/month (Maestro). The free tier gives 150 tokens per day for images (enough to play around). Notably, the top $60 plan allows video generation without watermarks, implying lower plans might let you test video but with a watermark or limited usage. So, think of $60 as the cost of producing a fully usable 30s ad with Leonardo (and you’d still have the capacity for more content that month). Lower plans (~$30) could potentially do it too, but you might have to live with a watermark or shorter clips.

Pros:

• Combo of image and video tools: Leonardo is like a creative lab – you can generate your ad’s key visuals (product shots, backgrounds, characters) as images first, iterate until they’re perfect, and then animate them. This two-step process can yield higher quality frames than a single-pass text-to-video. It’s great if you need detailed, high-res imagery in your commercial.

• Fine-tuning and brand consistency: You can train Leonardo on your own assets. For example, feed it your product photos or past ad graphics, and it can learn that style. This means subsequent generations (image or video) will stay on-brand. For companies worried about an AI going “off model,” Leonardo offers more control. Their “Elements” feature helps maintain consistency across scenes as well.

• Free and cheap options to experiment: The free daily tokens are a nice perk – you can test ideas at no cost. The entry plan at ~$12 gives enough juice for occasional campaigns. Compared to Midjourney, Leonardo offers a free tier (Midjourney doesn’t) and similar pricing on paid plans, making it an attractive alternative for cost-conscious creators.

• Versatile outputs (not just realistic): Leonardo supports various model types (photorealistic, anime, vector art, etc.). If you want an animated infographic style commercial or a cartoon mascot ad, it can generate those styles. It’s not limited to realism; it can do whimsical and stylized just as well. This versatility is handy for marketers who might need different creative approaches for different campaigns.

Cons:

• Video feature still maturing: Leonardo’s video generation is relatively new and primarily “image-to-motion”. It’s essentially creating short animated loops from stills. It’s not as advanced as true text-to-video systems in depicting complex action or longer narratives. For instance, you might animate a character blinking and waving, or a camera panning across a scene, but telling a whole 30-second story would require chaining multiple clips and might feel a bit disjointed.

• High-quality video requires top tier: As mentioned, to get watermark-free video output, you need the Maestro plan ($60). This is a higher paywall than, say, Midjourney’s $30 or Runway’s $12 for usable content. If you’re on a cheaper plan, you might hit limits or have to contend with branding on the video (not ideal for a final commercial).

• Token system complexity: Using Leonardo means managing tokens for different tasks (images, upscales, video frames, etc.). This can be slightly technical. If you run out of your fast tokens, generation might slow down unless you upgrade. It’s not horribly complicated, but it’s another thing to monitor, unlike a flat “generate as much as you need” model.

• Community and support: Leonardo is less famous than Midjourney, so there’s a smaller community for prompt tips or troubleshooting. Also, because it does so much, the interface can feel overwhelming. New users might need to invest time to learn the workflow (watching tutorials on using their editor, training models, etc.) before they can fully exploit it for ad creation.

Other Notable AI Video Ads Tools for Ads

The above six are our top picks, but there are a few other AI tools worth mentioning that could help with TV commercials:

1. OpenAI Sora (via Bing Video Generator): Sora is OpenAI’s internal video model, now accessible for free through the Bing mobile app. It produces impressive results (some rank it among the best generators) without any cost, but there’s a catch – it’s extremely slow. This could be a fun way to experiment with AI video if the budget is zero, but it’s not practical for timely ad production.

2. Hailuo AI (MiniMax Director): It’s a completely free AI video generator from text that has gone viral recently. Hailuo’s latest “Director” update even allows prompting camera movements (like tilts and pans) for more cinematic shots. Users have shared surprisingly good clips made with it. For marketers, if you’re tech-savvy, Hailuo could offer some free creative clips to supplement your ads – just remember free models often lack consistency and support.

3. Pika Labs: Pika is an “idea-to-video” platform known for ease of use. It started as a Discord bot for short AI videos, and now it offers a web app with affordable plans (~$10/month). Pika can take text or images and create stylized video sequences of a few seconds. It’s not meant for full commercials out-of-the-box, but creative marketers have used Pika for ads – in fact, earlier this year, Pika debuted a fully AI-generated ad for their own promotion, which sparked conversation for its provocative style.

4. Synthesia / HeyGen (AI Avatars): Not every commercial needs cinematic visuals – sometimes a simple talking head delivering your message does the job (think local service ads). Synthesia and HeyGen are AI video ad creator platforms that generate videos with AI presenter avatars speaking your script. You type in your copy, choose a virtual spokesperson (male/female, various ethnicities and styles), and the AI creates a video of that person reciting your message in a realistic voice. This can be a quick way to get a spokesperson-style TV commercial or explainer. Pricing is around $30 per month for ~10 minutes of video generation. The cons: the video is essentially a static person talking, not very dynamic or visually engaging for TV. Also, you’ll want to use your own background or B-roll cutaways to avoid it looking like a PowerPoint. Still, for a straightforward message to viewers (e.g., an insurance agent introducing her services), these AI avatar tools can save a lot of production cost (no need to hire actors or film crew).

Finally, a mention on traditional video makers with AI enhancements: Tools like InVideo, Pictory, and Lumen5 use AI to help assemble stock footage into ads or social videos. They aren’t generative like the others, but they can auto-edit clips to your script. These can be useful if you prefer real footage and just need AI to handle the editing/cutting. They often have low-cost plans ($10-$30/month). However, since they rely on stock libraries, your commercial might not be unique.

Final Thoughts

AI tools are making it possible for small businesses to advertise on TV without the usual high costs and studio resources. Whether you choose a heavy hitter like Google’s Veo 3 for a top-tier production or a user-friendly platform like Waymark via Skybeam to crank out ads in minutes, there’s an option that fits your needs and budget.

Which tool should you try first? It depends on your priority:

• If you need a TV Commercials ASAP with zero production knowledge, Waymark (through Skybeam’s platform) is a no-brainer for a polished, ready-to-air result.

• If you’re aiming for a viral, ultra-creative ad, experiment with Midjourney or Runway to craft something visually striking.

• For product-focused spots on a shoestring budget, give Kling or the free tier of Runway a go.

• And if you just want a personable face talking to your audience, an AI avatar from Synthesia might do the trick.

The era of AI-generated TV commercials is here, and it’s only getting started. With the right tool and a good idea, you might create the next attention-grabbing ad – no film crew required. Happy creating, and see you on TV!