Creative file issues are still common in advertising. Assets get lost, mislabeled, or misreported. This causes problems across campaigns, especially when teams need to track what actually ran across different media platforms.
Many people say we need a better system. But that system already exists.
The Ad Creative ID Framework (ACIF) and Ad-ID (ADID) are two standards that help fix these problems. They provide a consistent way to manage creative metadata across the ad supply chain. This includes details like advertiser, brand name, asset length, and other essential info.
When ACIF and ADID are in place, sellers get better visibility into what they’re running, and buyers can consolidate creative reporting across platforms. These IDs create a single source of truth that works across digital and linear media. This includes programmatic video, CTV, broadcast TV, and streaming.
For marketers and media buyers, that means it’s easier to track and verify delivery. For publishers and platforms, it simplifies reporting and reduces manual work. Everyone benefits from cleaner, more organized creative data.
These standards are already available. Adoption is what’s missing.
To learn more about how to use ACIF and ADID to improve creative transparency and streamline your advertising workflow, visit the IAB Tech Lab: ACIF Standard from IAB Tech Lab
Sam Khoury
Founder, Cedar Consultants
Creative consulting solutions for Adtech