Comparative Analysis of AI-Generated Video Marketing Content: Evaluating OpenAI’s Sora and Gemini’s VEO Generated Video Modalities

Abstract

The rapid proliferation of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has fundamentally disrupted digital marketing, yet empirical research comparing the efficacy of specific high-fidelity text-to-video models remains scarce. This study addresses this gap by conducting a quasi-experimental field comparison of video advertising content generated by OpenAI’s Sora 2 and Google’s Veo 3.1. Set within the context of an international student recruitment campaign for a U.S. university targeting prospective students in Bangladesh, the research analyzes the performance of two distinct ad sets across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Using a standardized prompt engineering protocol to minimize creative bias, the study measured key performance indicators across the marketing funnel, including View Rate, Engagement Rate, Click-Through Rate (CTR), and Cost Per Acquisition (CPA). The results reveal a significant performance trade-off between the two models. Video content generated by Sora 2 demonstrated superior upper-funnel performance, achieving significantly higher View Rates (p < 0.05) and Engagement Rates (p < 0.05), attributed to its cinematic quality and visual novelty. Conversely, content generated by Veo 3.1 outperformed in lower-funnel metrics, delivering a significantly higher CTR (p < 0.05) and a lower CPA (p < 0.05), driven by its capability to generate clear, synchronized audio and dialogue. These findings suggest that "aesthetic novelty" drives attention while "utilitarian clarity" drives action. The study contributes to the literature on AI in advertising by validating the application of the AIDA model to GenAI content and offers actionable managerial implications: marketers should not view these tools as interchangeable but rather select them strategically based on specific campaign objectives, using Sora 2 for brand awareness and Veo 3 for direct response and lead generation.