16/01/2026
OPINION: Let’s be honest: how committed do you feel to a brand when you see its advertising created with AI? Personally, I feel very little commitment, almost none, unless the work has soul and character, and is carefully curated like a piece of art in a gallery.
Recently, I've noticed a surge of videos on YouTube featuring fictional characters promoting products and services. It’s obvious that both the characters and their voices are AI-generated. This raises a valid question: if brands aren't willing to invest time, effort, and creativity in their advertising, how much dedication can we expect them to put into developing their products or services?
I’m not against AI; I believe it can be incredibly helpful for handling tedious tasks. The issue arises when AI is used without careful management. It's crucial to have a human infuse the work with soul and spirit because your brand’s identity depends on every piece of advertising that appears in both digital and print media. AI can make mistakes and hallucinate; its “research” isn’t backed by human expertise, often resulting in fabricated information just to produce an answer.
While AI can generate realistic and photographic images and videos, proper ex*****on is key. Without effective prompt engineering, these outputs can often appear unnatural. There’s no substitute for a team that supports your brand, which you've worked hard to build, while using AI as an ally to tackle time-consuming challenges. It’s essential to have a team that carefully evaluates each result and selects what works best, rather than just what looks appealing.
Your audience, especially young people like Millennials and Gen Z, is tech-savvy and familiar with AI. You might be able to deceive older generations with ads featuring fictional characters, but young consumers will quickly scroll past entirely AI-generated content. Protect your brand, nowadays, content created with less reliance on AI, whether it’s video, animation, or images, will resonate more with audiences on social media.
Back when I was a junior art director, creating an ad from scratch was a detailed process. We used a film camera to take 24 to 36 exposures, developed the images in a lab, and then selected the best photo. The headlines and text were crafted by creative teams alongside copywriters. The lettering was applied using the famous 'Letraset' sheets, letter by letter, and it all went through a rigorous review and approval process by the client. That advertising work had soul and a whole team behind it. Today, it can take just a few seconds with AI, often completed by an intern fresh out of college.
Several recent studies support this perception. Research on AI generated influencers and advertising shows that while AI content can attract attention, it consistently scores lower on perceived credibility, authenticity, and brand trust when audiences recognize it as fully automated. Surveys also indicate that a significant portion of consumers report reduced trust in brands once they realize ads are created primarily by AI, especially when there is little human involvement. Credibility and human presence remain two of the strongest drivers of engagement and purchase intent, reinforcing the idea that automation alone often weakens emotional connection rather than strengthening it.
If you care about thoughtful, human-centered brand communication and want to see how I approach creativity, strategy, and brand building from decades of experience in advertising and design, check out my LinkedIn profile to learn more about my work and professional journey.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dsavaq/
