Question: Can an ad which has been generated from scratch in 60 seconds by Artificial Intelligence (AI) after it has scanned the web serve the purpose we need a creative to serve?
The unhelpful answer is yes and no. It depends on the brand, the product or the service being advertised.
However, one thing that every single brand does have in common is that their ad creatives represent the ‘beating heart’ of an ad campaign. An ad creative is the reason we do what we do as advertisers. What do I mean by this? Well, it’s the last (and indeed only) thing the audience sees and it’s the ‘thing’ responsible for people discovering, falling in love and maybe even buying new things.
An ad creative isn’t a commodity. Neither should it be looked upon as a mere ‘component’ of an ad campaign. Regarding it as such runs the risk of relegating it’s unique and vital importance in a CTV ad campaign to that of a piece of data or pipe through which it whizzes on its journey into the living room.
And here’s the problem with that. Somehow we’ve started conditioning ourselves into viewing it as a ‘component’; perhaps even an inconvenient one. And the fact that this started happening before AI even had a seat at the table should be absolutely terrifying.
And this is what today’s article is about - WHY SHOULD THIS BE TERRIFYING?
Here's why…
As tends to be the case when technology throws its hat into the ring, the meteoric ascension of AI coupled with humankind’s drive for efficiency has created the risk we sleepwalk even faster into this perception that an ad creative is just a 'component'. And the moment this happens, the odds that even the most emotionally-tied ad creatives (not just the ones which aren't) lose their 'soul'.
In my mind, one of the easiest ways we can avoid this is by addressing two simple things:
How AI should not be used in a creative
Artificial Intelligence should never be the thing we count on when it comes to settling on the nucleus of a story or message. Lean on AI for inspiration sure (to serve as a source to unearth ideas), but nothing more.
Neither should AI be used to create the underpinning narrative. Leverage it to help you create better/different/additional ways of saying what you want to say, but nothing more.
Don’t allow AI to replace the human research you need to do as you seek to understand the mental or emotional triggers that reside within your brand
How could/should AI be used in a creative?
Here is how we believe (and use) artificial intelligence (AI) at Origin
Animation-based versioning.
Copy-based versioning.
B-roll/image editing.
Content splicing.
Deciphering brand study/attribution data and helping surface the most important signals.
Assisting in copywriting at scale (in instances where the copy in question is neither emotional or sentiment driven).
The best, smartest and safest way to view AI should be as an intelligent assistant that is directed by human commands and highly proficient.
In short - use Artificial Intelligence to handle problems at scale that even large teams would struggle to do.
Origin is an award-winning creative technology company whose zero code CTV ad formats give marketers unparalleled creative liberty in the living room and outside the home.
Fusing pioneering production techniques with proprietary technology and direct distribution, Origin's solutions are embraced by media agencies, brands, creative teams and programmatic platforms who understand the value of being able to deliver relevant, engaging and ‘in the moment’ ad experiences to their audience.
Founded by media veterans Stephen Strong and Fred Godfrey, Origin is driven by the simple belief that the time has come to challenge tradition and enrage the status quo. Learn more at www.originmedia.tv.