Banner format planning: from master creative to format set.

A long list of possible banner sizes is not yet a useful production plan. The right set comes from the media plan, target platforms and the geometries the campaign idea genuinely needs to cover.

Start with the media plan

Publishers and platforms define which placements are available. Format planning should therefore begin with those real requirements and remove duplicates or unnecessary sizes.

Group formats by geometry

For creative production, pixel dimensions alone are not enough. Rectangles, wide leaderboards, tall skyscrapers and mobile banners each require different image crops, copy lengths and CTA positions.

Build a resilient master creative

The master should contain the central campaign idea without being so rigid that it only works in one aspect ratio. Flexible image areas, concise headlines and clearly prioritised elements make later adaptation much easier.

Treat extreme formats separately

A 728 × 90 leaderboard and a 160 × 600 skyscraper cannot be derived from each other by simple scaling. The composition needs to be rearranged while keeping brand and message consistent.

Plan responsive assets separately

Responsive display ads often use image and copy assets that the platform combines dynamically. These follow aspect-ratio and asset rules rather than one fixed banner size, so they should be a separate block in the production plan.

Consider variants early

Language versions, product variants and alternative CTAs should be known before adaptation where possible. This lets the creative system remain modular instead of forcing manual changes across every size later.

A practical sequence

1. Collect media plan and target platforms
2. Mark mandatory formats
3. Group by geometry
4. Develop the master creative
5. Adapt format families
6. Run technical QA

For a reference list of common sizes, see our banner sizes and standard formats.