When and how to use AI in advertising imagery is proving to be one of the biggest questions facing marketers this year.For some brands, AI platforms and services are proving to be game-changing for their ability to speed along creative processes, and save money. Companies like personal care brand Goodwipes are using it not only to create content but also to optimize past photo shoots, while others like Hilton are using AI tools to fuel more ad campaigns without extra shoots. Conglomerates like Unilever are using editing and visualization tools to quickly jump on viral trends, while companies like beverage brand Koia are using it as the basis for entire campaigns that aim to go beyond the bounds of reality.
Canva’s State of Marketing report found that 97% of marketing leaders use AI in their daily creative work, and 99% planned to increase AI investment this year.
But many marketers say they’re careful not to let the tools replace the creative process, and for good reason. Gartner found in June that 49% of U.S. consumers think AI has made content quality worse. That figure rises to 57% among Gen Z and millennials. Brands risk backlash from this cohort if they use AI too obviously, or incorrectly: REI this summer found itself under fire from commenters who roasted the brand for an AI-generated ad of a woman with a bicycle that had two sets of handlebars. Even brands that didn’t use AI in their imagery can get called out for potentially relying on it, as Quip found after a surrealist campaign earlier this year.
