Five Inspiring Uses of Generative AI in Advertising and Marketing

Introduction

Generative AI has gained significant attention in the past 8 or 9 months, with major consumer corporations eagerly adopting these tools to tap into their amazing creativity, cost-savings, and scalability. While the capabilities of generative AI continue to improve, it is still far from perfect. However, this has not deterred companies from experimenting and exploring the potential of this technology. In this article, we will explore five inspiring uses of generative AI in advertising and marketing.

1. Coca-Cola: Pioneering the Symbiosis of AI and Human Creativity

Coca-Cola, in collaboration with OpenAI, has launched an AI-engineered campaign called “Masterpiece,” which seamlessly combines art and live-action elements to create an unparalleled viewing experience. As one of the first global giants to embrace generative AI, Coca-Cola has appointed Pratik Thakar as the global head of GenAI. The company aims to merge AI with human creativity to enhance its brand identity and advertising efforts. In addition to advertising, Coca-Cola is also focused on empowering independent artists and small studios through initiatives like the Real Magic Creative Academy and Coke Studio, a free, AI-augmented music-making platform.

2. Cadbury (Mondelez): Amplifying Scale and Personalization Through AI

Cadbury and Mondelez, clients of WPP, have utilized OpenAI’s DALL-E 2 to create an advertisement featuring Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan in India. This innovative approach has resulted in cost savings of up to “10 to 20 times” and has allowed for the scaling of reach and personalization for small retailers. Big companies like WPP and Unilever are turning to generative AI to create cheaper and more efficient ads. In fact, Unilever has even developed its own AI tools for ad creation.

3. Virgin Voyages: Trailblazing Celebrity-Driven AI Campaigns

Virgin Voyages, in collaboration with advertising agency VMLY&R and AI startup Deeplocal, has launched a clever and humorous ad campaign featuring Jennifer Lopez as the first celebrity to “lend her likeness to an AI program” named “Jen AI.” This campaign invites people to go on a cruise and allows consumers to create custom cruise invitations through the Jen AI tool on the Virgin Voyages website. The ad humorously reveals a “glitch,” highlighting the fact that AI technology is not yet perfect.

4. Heinz: Asserting Brand Identity in the AI Ecosystem

Heinz has utilized OpenAI’s DALL-E 2 to create a series of ketchup-inspired images in a marketing stunt. Interestingly, the AI-generated images overwhelmingly featured elements of Heinz’s signature branding, such as its iconic bottle shape and logo. This campaign served as a follow-up to a previous one where people were asked to draw their own images of ketchup. Heinz claims that this experiment confirmed that the Heinz brand is synonymous with ketchup, even in the AI world.

5. Carvana: Crafting Unique Customer Journeys with Machine Learning

Carvana, an online platform for buying and selling used cars, has created personalized videos to thank its customers that recount the day they purchased their vehicle. Utilizing advanced machine learning technology, each video is a one-of-a-kind record that includes the date, location, and various cultural and vehicle details. These videos aim to highlight the special connection drivers have with their cars and celebrate the growing Carvana community. Ryan Keeton, Carvana’s Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer, describes the videos as almost like “living NFTs,” emphasizing that no two videos or customer experiences are the same. This initiative combines Carvana’s industry-leading vehicle photography with cutting-edge machine learning to offer an innovative customer experience.

Conclusion

Generative AI has opened up new possibilities in the field of advertising and marketing. Companies like Coca-Cola, Cadbury, Virgin Voyages, Heinz, and Carvana have harnessed the power of AI to enhance their creative campaigns, amplify scale and personalization, trailblaze celebrity-driven campaigns, assert brand identity, and craft unique customer journeys. While generative AI is not without its imperfections, these companies have embraced its potential and are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the advertising and marketing disciplines.