A recent study by McKinsey found that AI is already being used by over 40% of creative professionals, and this number is poised to grow exponentially in the coming years.
AI is no longer just for tech geeks. Creative professionals are increasingly turning to Generative AI to help them from brainstorming ideas to generating final products, designs, and campaigns. The human and AI creative synergy is leading to results that are nothing short of stunning.
Generative AI is proving to be a catalyst for greater productivity, efficiency, and innovation. Another study has stated that AI can help creative professionals to be 20% more productive and create content that is 50% more engaging.
With AI as a game-changer in the creative process, small businesses to medium-sized enterprises can create AI-powered ad campaigns that perform exceptionally well and capture the attention of the audience more effectively.
In this blog, we’ll take a look at how some of the world’s biggest brands are using Generative AI to create amazing work in different ad formats. From Heinz to Coca-Cola to Nutella, these brands are showing us what’s possible when artificial intelligence is used creatively to generate ad creatives and fine-tune marketing campaigns.
9 Examples of Brands Leading the Way in AI Ad Creative
Heinz: AI admits Heinz is the Ultimate Ketchup
Heinz, the renowned ketchup brand, has long been a household name globally. Beyond its culinary presence, Heinz has also gained attention in the digital marketing space through the use of Generative AI.
In 2022, they introduced the innovative “A.I. Ketchup” campaign, utilising DALL-E 2 to create visually captivating images of ketchup.
The outcome was remarkable. Regardless of the abstract prompts given, the AI repeatedly produced images that unmistakably resembled Heinz ketchup, reinforcing the brand’s iconic status as the definitive name in the world of ketchup.
But the campaign went beyond awards. Heinz encouraged customers to create their own AI-generated ketchup bottles, integrating them into gallery displays and bottle labels.
With its iconic tagline, “This is what ‘Ketchup’ looks like to AI,” Heinz sealed the deal as one of those innovative companies that truly welcomed innovation and technology with open arms.
What were the results?
The campaign’s success was undeniable, garnering over 1.15 billion impressions globally and attracting widespread media attention. Brands like Ducati and Sportsnet even participated by sharing their own AI-generated ketchup prompts.
Heinz estimated that the campaign’s exposure was worth more than 2500% of their media investment. The AI campaign also received coverage from major outlets like Fast Company, Bloomberg, and TechCrunch, with social media engagement rates 38% higher than previous Heinz campaigns.
Heinz’s innovative use of AI was recognized at the prestigious Clio Awards, where they won the Gold Award for Product/Service in 2023.
Coca-Cola: Creating Magic with AI
A pioneer in marketing since its inception, Coca-Cola continues to innovate. In 2023, Coca-Cola started the “Create Real Magic” campaign by partnering with Bain & Company and OpenAI and developed a user-friendly tool that allowed anyone to create and share personalised Coke visuals through social media posts.
This innovative platform empowered users to generate their own Coca-Cola-inspired artwork, resulting in an astounding 120,000 pieces of user-generated content (UGC).
The campaign showcased the power of AI in ad creation, enabling users to easily generate creatives for their social media posts.
What were the results?
The success was evident in its engagement metrics, with visitors spending an average of over 7 minutes on the website per session. Coca-Cola was able to produce conversion-focused ad creatives that resonated with its audience and drove campaign performance.
The “Create Real Magic” campaign exemplified Coca-Cola’s commitment to innovation and its ability to tap into the creative potential of its vast customer base, which strengthened its bond with its audience.
Experience how leveraging advanced AI-driven strategies can transform your campaigns, saving time and delivering exceptional results. Explore the possibilities with a tech partner who can help you create real magic.
Ben and Jerry’s: Ice cream for breakfast
Unilever, the parent company of Ben & Jerry’s, demonstrated the strategic use of artificial intelligence to uncover a previously unexplored market segment.
Through a comprehensive analysis of customer behaviour by using generative AI and machine learning, the company identified a surprising trend: the prevalence of the phrase “ice cream for breakfast” in popular songs and posts.
Recognising this as a potential game-changer, Unilever’s Ben & Jerry’s division capitalised on the opportunity.
Inspired by the early experiments of other ice cream shops, they introduced a groundbreaking line of cereal-themed ice cream flavours, including Scrambled eggs, Fruit Loops, Frozen Flakes, and Coca-Cola.
What were the results?
The innovative concept quickly resonated with consumers, driving significant attention and inspiring competitors to follow suit.
As Stan Sthanunathan, Unilever’s head of insights, proudly noted, “The machine-learning algorithm crunches all this data, and we’ve now learnt there’s an opportunity for going after sweet breakfast items. Two years down the road, and our competitors are now doing the same.”
Nutella: Personalising Every Jar
Nutella’s “Unica” campaign is a solid example of AI-driven personalisation in marketing. Beyond its aesthetic value, the “Unica” campaign in Italy offered a unique digital experience for each jar owner.
By scanning their jar’s unique ID code, customers could access a personalised online platform where they could create their own video showcasing their one-of-a-kind Nutella.
What were the results?
By leveraging generative AI, the brand created 7 million distinct jar labels, each with a unique piece of art that was made according to individual consumer preference. In less than a month after its launch, the entire collection of AI-designed jars sold out completely.
This approach enhanced the brand’s appeal and planted a deeper connection through its uniqueness and collectibility with the customers.
Pedigree: Using AI to Save Lives
Pedigree has launched Adoptable with Nexus Studio, which is an initiative to use proprietary artificial intelligence to drive positive social change. The brand is transforming amateur shelter dog photos into professional-quality images that have significantly increased adoption rates.
Adoptable’s AI-powered image enhancement not only improved the ads of shelter dogs but also provided valuable information about their poses and characteristics.
By combining Generative AI with its global media reach, Pedigree is taking a significant step towards ending dog homelessness worldwide, as Global Brand Vice President Fabio Alings stated, “Adoptable is a transformational step for us at Pedigree. We’re committed to helping end dog homelessness around the world. Now that commitment can be at the heart of everything we do—in every ad.”
What were the results?
The initiative has already yielded impressive results, with a 50% adoption rate within two weeks and a sixfold increase in shelter visitation.
This approach allowed Pedigree to precisely target adoption ads, ensuring that potential adopters are presented with dogs that match their preferences and are available in their local area.
WWF: A World Without Nature, Brought to Life by AI
The #WORLDWITHOUTNATURE campaign, a joint effort by WWF, AI/CC Creative Community, and Brave Bison, harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to create a stark visual representation of a world without nature.
The creators used AI tools to generate haunting and thought-provoking imagery depicting the consequences of biodiversity loss and raise awareness among the people.
As Seth Pyrzynski, founder of the AI/CC Creative Community, said, “We felt that the combination of AI and our vibrant community was the perfect vehicle for this brief.”
What were the results?
The campaign challenged companies to rethink their reliance on wildlife in branding, serving as a powerful call to action for environmental protection.
As Matt Garbutt, Creative Director at Brave Bison, noted, “AI technology played a crucial role in bringing this dystopian vision to life, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable practices and a renewed appreciation for the natural world.”
BMW: Driving Art with AI
BMW partnered with Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, an advertising agency, to continue their trend of featuring art on their car models. In 2021, they collaborated to create a new campaign for the 8 Series Gran Coupé, using Generative AI to make art that could be projected onto the vehicles.
What were the results?
BMW was able to communicate with its target audience directly and without the need for words by applying AI art to the automobile.
Imagine the possibilities for your own campaigns with the right tech partner. Get in touch to explore how generative AI can improve your ad strategies.
NIKE: AI Recreates Serena Williams’ Legendary Matches Across Eras
Nike’s ‘Never Done Evolving‘ campaign, launched in conjunction with its 50th anniversary, paid a heartfelt tribute to Serena Williams, one of the greatest athletes of all time.
Following her retirement announcement, Nike employed generative AI to simulate a hypothetical match between the 1999 Serena, who clinched her first Grand Slam title, and the 2017 Serena, fresh from her Australian Open victory.
The AI-generated match, consisting of 130,000 games and 5,000 simulated matches, provided a unique opportunity to compare the evolution of Serena’s playing style, shot selection, timing, agility, and overall athleticism across two decades.
What were the results?
This gained a remarkable number of views on YouTube as compared to other Nike content. The resulting 8-minute video won the Grand Prix for Digital Craft at Cannes.
This campaign is a great example of using Generative AI in storytelling to create emotionally resonant content that connects with audiences.
McDonald’s: AI-generated Ads Take Fast Food Marketing to a New Dimension
McDonald’s Japan has launched an AI-powered advertising campaign that has garnered significant attention.
Developed in collaboration with popular digital influencer Kaku Drop and the innovative team at LumaLabsAI, the campaign leverages advanced AI technology to create highly personalised and engaging content.
By analysing vast amounts of data on social media trends, past advertising successes, and customer preferences, LumaLabsAI generated creatives specifically made for the Japanese market.
What were the results?
Kaku Drop guided viewers through a world populated by AI-generated Japanese girls enjoying McDonald’s French fries in a visually stunning and immersive manner.
This unique approach resonated well with consumers and created a memorable brand experience.
Potential Tools Required to Generate Ad Creatives
OpenAI
As a leading research laboratory, OpenAI has developed several powerful AI tools, including GPT-4, which is capable of generating content that is human-quality text, translations, and code. GPT-4 can be used to create compelling ad copy, taglines, and even scripts for video ads.
DALL-E
DALL-E is an AI tool that specialises in generating images from text descriptions. It can be used to create unique ad creative, from product images to social media graphics.
Midjourney
Similar to DALL-E, Midjourney is another AI tool that can generate high-quality images based on text prompts.
It offers a wide range of artistic styles and can be used to create everything from abstract art to realistic illustrations.
Stable Diffusion
Stable Diffusion is an open-source text-to-image model is capable of generating high-resolution images from text descriptions.
It’s a versatile tool that can be used for a variety of creative tasks, including ad creative generation.
Runway
Runway offers a suite of AI tools for creative professionals, including tools for generating images, videos, and text.
Runway can be used to create unique and engaging ad creatives for a variety of plat
Benefits of using Generative AI in creating advertising
Streamlined Design Process
AI significantly speeds up the design process by quickly generating various concept options, allowing for faster iterations. This efficiency brings ideas to life in a fraction of the time, making it ideal for agencies working with tight deadlines.
Expanding Creativity
AI introduces new perspectives by suggesting innovative design elements and styles that may not be considered in traditional approaches. It pushes creative boundaries, offering fresh ideas that inspire original concepts
Consistency and Scalability
AI ensures that brand guidelines are consistently followed across platforms, while also allowing for scalable ad production for different markets and demographics. This step is invaluable when managing large campaigns or maintaining uniformity across multiple services, much like the multi-section websites you’re working on.
Data-Driven Optimisation
AI doesn’t just generate designs; it also learns from past performance, offering real-time recommendations for improving future campaigns. This data-driven approach helps to make sure that each new campaign performs better than the last.
Real-Time Flexibility
With AI, designers can make real-time adjustments to campaigns based on live data and feedback. This adaptability guarantees that creatives remain responsive and impactful, allowing for fine-tuning during a live campaign for maximum effectiveness.
Conclusion
AI ad creatives are a game-changer in advertising, offering brands a powerful new approach to creating compelling campaigns. Leveraging AI’s ability to analyse big amounts of data and generate creative insights, creative professionals can develop targeted content that matches the client’s expectations and drive conversions.
This evolution from traditional methods to AI-driven technology for ad creation has led to remarkable shifts, opening up new avenues for connecting with audiences in innovative ways.
WowLabz excels at helping agencies generate ad creatives and eye-catching AI-powered campaigns that meet all expectations. As AI technology advances, we can expect to see even more innovative and effective applications in the advertising world. For insights on selecting the ideal tech partner to navigate these advancements, visit our blog on Right Tech Partner for agencies to know more.
