Generative AI has really made a splash over the past 8 or 9 months. While capabilities keep improving every day (and are far from perfect), that hasn’t stopped major consumer corporations from jumping on the bandwagon to experiment and tap into the amazing creativity, cost-savings and scale these tools can offer. In this article we look at 5 inspiring uses of Generative AI in advertising and marketing.

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

Coca-Cola, in partnership with OpenAI, launched an AI-engineered campaign titled “Masterpiece,” masterfully fusing art and live-action elements for an unparalleled viewing experience.

Coca-Cola is one of the first global giants to dive headfirst into generative AI, appointing Pratik Thakar as global head of GenAI. The company aims to merge AI with human creativity to enhance brand identity and advertising. Beyond 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

Our second example has Cadbury and Mondelez (WPP clients) using OpenAI’s DALL-E 2 to create an ad featuring Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan in India, reporting cost savings up to “10 to 20 times.” I love how they’ve scaled reach and personalization for small retailers…something previously unimaginable.

Big companies like WPP and Unilever are turning to generative AI to create cheaper, more efficient ads. Unilever has even built its own AI tools for ad creation.

3. Virgin Voyages: Trailblazing Celebrity-Driven AI Campaigns

Third, we have an incredibly clever and funny ad campaign for Virgin Voyages, where Jennifer Lopez becomes the first celebrity to “lend her likeness to an AI program”, dubbed “Jen AI,” to invite people to go on a cruise. The campaign, a collaboration between Virgin Voyages, advertising agency VMLY&R, and AI startup Deeplocal, allows consumers to create custom cruise invitations through the Jen AI tool on the Virgin Voyages website. The ad humorously reveals a “glitch,” showing that the AI isn’t perfect yet.

4. Heinz: Asserting Brand Identity in the AI Ecosystem

In our fourth example, Heinz used OpenAI’s Dall-E 2 to create a series of ketchup-inspired images in a marketing stunt, finding that the AI overwhelmingly featured elements of Heinz’s signature branding, like its iconic bottle shape and logo. The campaign served as a follow-up to a previous one where people were asked to draw their own images of ketchup. Heinz claims that the experiment confirmed that the Heinz brand is synonymous with ketchup even in the AI world. Pretty clever, I think!

5. Carvana: Crafting Unique Customer Journeys with Machine Learning

Our fifth and last example is from Carvana, an online platform for buying and selling used cars. Carvana thanked its customers by creating personalized videos that recount the day they purchased their vehicle. Using 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 are intended to highlight the special connection drivers have with their cars and to celebrate the growing Carvana community.

Ryan Keeton, Carvana’s Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer, described the videos as almost like “living NFTs” and emphasized that no two videos or customer experiences are the same. The initiative combines Carvana’s industry-leading vehicle photography with cutting-edge machine learning to offer an innovative customer experience.

So, what are your thoughts? Have you encountered any other advertising marvels that are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible? Feel free to share in the comments—I’d love to hear from you!

LOOKING FOR MORE INSPIRATION?

Here’s a video countdown of the top 10 companies using generative AI to disrupt the advertising and marketing disciplines. This video includes the 5 examples above, plus 5-6 more! Which of these brands’ use of generative AI do you find the most interesting?