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Key Takeaways:
- McAfee’s “Keep It Real” campaign uses AI-driven visuals to mirror the confusion people face in spotting online scams.
- Ads from VSA Partners intentionally blur reality to start a conversation about how AI makes scams harder to detect.
- The campaign features real-life survivor stories and influencer-led education to build empathy and spread awareness.
- The campaign drove 50% higher social engagement and 55% more clicks than benchmark campaigns.
Can you really trust what you see online?
McAfee’s latest campaign wants you to think twice before believing someone who only has a digital presence.
The cybersecurity company has launched “Keep It Real,” a new awareness effort that tackles AI-powered scams by showing just how easy it is to be fooled.
Created with global creative agency VSA Partners, the campaign puts together surreal, attention-grabbing ads with raw, firsthand stories from scam survivors.
And I think it's a great way to make people pay attention. Combining real stories with captivating ads makes cybersecurity feel a lot less dry and far more relatable.
It seeks to challenge the shame culture around getting scammed and encourage open conversation.
The campaign centers on two elements: digital ads designed to provoke, and “Scam Stories,” a growing series of testimonials from people who’ve been scammed.
“By using AI in our ads with intention, we’re recreating the same confusion and doubt people experience when faced with a scam, creating a need to look twice,” McAfee CMO Stephanie Fried said in a statement.
“'Scam Stories' gives voice and power to the real people behind those moments. Holistically, this campaign helps shift the narrative from shame to understanding and reminds people that anyone can be fooled.”
Together, each spot and story serve a clear purpose, which is to move past the blame game and help people stay alert.
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And McAfee's early data suggests that users are receiving the ads positively.
According to the company, engagement on social media rose 50% above benchmarks, while click-through rates are up 55%.
“The moment we released these ads, they seemed to strike a nerve, generating tons of engagement and debate on social,” VSA Partner for Campaign Design Kim Mickenberg told DesignRush.
“It was a clear sign the creative was doing exactly what we intended: breaking through, resonating emotionally, and driving people to take action to protect themselves.”
AI may be a tool, but in the hands of creative agencies, it’s also a mirror.
McAfee's latest campaign shows how brand messaging can spark difficult, human conversations that are necessary for everyone's protection.
Using AI to Catch AI-Powered Scams
One of the campaign’s first viral ads features a beautiful woman by the beach, with a notification pop-up asking to send her money.
The video grows even more suspicious when her head does a full 360-degree spin.
The same video shows a fake FBI agent displaying an arrest warrant and a man swimming with a swan floatie.
All of these were generated by AI to drive McAfee's point. "If there's an AI scam behind it, we'll help you stay ahead of it," the screen writes.
The other spots follow suit, showing the different types of scams that have risen courtesy of AI: delivery scams, love scams, and weight-loss scams.
The campaign also launched McAfee’s new “Scam Detector” AI software, which flags scams in messages, emails, and videos.
Meanwhile, the second half of the campaign, "Scam Stories," is gaining momentum with the help of public figures and everyday people.
Actor Chris Carmack and his wife Erin Slaver shared how they were misled.
This spearheads the movement to encourage others to speak up using the hashtags #KeepItReal and #MyScamStory.
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To expand its reach, McAfee also partnered with nonprofit FightCybercrime.org, donating $50,000 worth of digital protection to scam survivors and volunteers.
The collaboration also includes efforts to promote online safety education.
On social platforms, McAfee has teamed up with influencers such as Alexandra Madison, Theo Shakes, and Kristen Knutson.
This time, comedic content will provide advice on spotting scams.
From AI-generated visuals to real stories and safety tools, “Keep It Real” positions McAfee as an advocate for empathy in the age of digital deception.
In other news, the Ad Council recently released a star-studded campaign in celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month.
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