By Nicholas LaManna, brand strategy lead at Designit
Despite the government announcing plans to “mainline [AI] into the veins of the nation”, the hype around the technology has cooled.
A year ago, AI was billed as an all-encompassing disruptor that could reshape entire industries and replace jobs overnight. Yet, in reality, its adoption has been uneven, with its primary role being a tool for operational efficiency – whether in healthcare, finance or aviation.
For us in the creative industry who use generative AI regularly, we have started to witness some of its shortcomings first hand. Even the things it does well as an efficiency tool are still, as the creators of AI model Claude put it: “at times cumbersome and error-prone”.
Especially when it comes to content generation, ChatGPT’s repetitive and fairly generic suggestions (and occasional factual inaccuracies) highlight that generative AI still has a long way to go before it becomes a staple of the creative arsenal. But this isn’t the problem brands might think it is.
A slow, steady, and considered approach to technology will serve brands best in the long run. The real opportunity lies not in chasing AI hype but in embracing the overlooked technology that can deliver immediate value. Translation tools, software that resizes videos and other foundational digital tools can significantly enhance creative workflows without the risk of alienating audiences with half-baked AI experiments.
Boring tech builds the foundations for creativity to thrive
The current iteration of AI isn’t completely useless to creatives. It can streamline workflows and spark ideas but the kind of AI that genuinely elevates creative work is still out of reach for most brands.
For those that have the resources, the AI-generated creative, while technically impressive, is often soulless – Coca-Cola’s flagship Christmas advert from last year for example, or Toys R Us’ Sora created advert from June last year. These forays into AI creative felt more like marketing stunts than meaningful storytelling, proving that AI’s novelty doesn’t equate to creative depth…yet.
Perhaps these adverts were made in an attempt to be seen as a first-mover – to signal to rivals that these businesses were taking a progressive approach and embracing new
technology. For Toys R Us especially – a company that filed for bankruptcy fairly recently – using AI in this manner could have been a simple way of getting the brand back into public consciousness.
But the results were uninspired, reinforcing two key lessons: first, AI-generated content still lacks the nuance and emotional intelligence of human creativity. Second, and more importantly, technology can never be a substitute for great storytelling.
Technology behind the scenes matters more
The best stories are often ones we relate to. A brand that nailed this just recently is Cadbury’s, with the latest instalment of its partnership with Alzheimer’s Research, resonating with audiences through its deeply human subject matter.
To have any sort of AI involved in executing this ad would’ve diluted its message, and served mainly as a distraction rather than an enhancement. Even if your advertising budget is large enough to put new technology like AI front and centre of what you’re doing, this is a prime example of why you don’t need it to be. AI isn’t necessary to make compelling and engaging creative content.
Instead, the technology that has the biggest impact is quite dull. ‘The Cloud’ has outlasted much “sexier” technology that faded as quickly as it arrived (remember NFTs?). AI will not disappear, but its most significant use cases will be behind the scenes, enhancing workflows rather than replacing creativity.
There’s no doubt that AI will allow businesses in all industries to become much leaner operations. As an efficiency and a time-saving tool, its impact is already clear.
But when it comes to its use in the creative process, brands need to remember that AI isn’t going to ‘wow’ consumers. The novelty has worn off, and at its worst, AI-generated content feels uncanny and off-putting.
The real future for creative success moving forward isn’t about jumping on AI trends but about embracing the technologies that actually empower creativity.
And more often than not, those tools aren’t flashy – they’re just effective.
The convergence of tech and brands 