Last Friday, Motorola launched its first fully AI-generated campaign made with the help of its agency, Heaven (Hopscotch Groupe).
"Styled by Moto" focuses on the Motorola Razr 50 and Razr 50 Ultra, a sleek new foldable smartphone that comes in six different colorways developed by Pantone.
Utilizing OpenAI's Sora, the telecommunications company created a commercial featuring runway models dressed in classy and elaborate outfits designed to look like the iconic Motorola logo.
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The campaign reportedly underwent four months of production and research, with the team utilizing nine different AI tools, including Adobe Firefly, to generate and animate thousands of AI-generated images.
Each outfit, as well as the models and locations seen in the spot, was generated by AI with minimal editing.
The ad’s soundtrack was also AI-generated, interpolating the company’s famous "Hello Moto" jingle.
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The campaign includes social media marketing initiatives and partnerships with fashion influencers Edward Sad and Leeloo, who each use their unique styles to complement the phone’s colors.
One-hundred fifty photos of guests dressed in Motorola "Batwing" outfits were also exhibited at the launch party, along with a real "Motorola Dress" designed by textile studio Scotomalab.
Want to understand more about how AI works? Read here.
Another AI Ad
"Styled by Moto" comes on the heels of the recent AI-generated Toys ‘R’ Us campaign, which drew widespread criticism for its lack of creativity.
Last April, movie outfit A24 faced backlash after it released five AI-generated posters of its box-office hit "Civil War," with netizens complaining about their lack of accuracy.
AI-generated ads are only beginning to break into the mainstream, so it remains to be seen exactly what effects they could have within the advertising landscape.
However, reactions to generative AI being used in creative industries like advertising, film, and gaming have been largely negative.
jfc this is an abomination from @ToysRUs. As if it wasn't bad enough that they're using an AI tool trained on the plagiarised work of thousands of artists and unlicensed IP, they're clearly too cheap to use real creators and child actors. Makes a strong statement in itself about… pic.twitter.com/O3NfaUcLzn
— Theo (@tprstly) June 25, 2024
As a result, many brands have taken it upon themselves to declare their non-use of AI.
For instance, Dove launched an anti-AI campaign last April promising to "never use AI-generated content to represent real women in its advertisements," highlighting the importance of genuine advertising that connects with humans.
Major advertising agency Publicis Groupe also took a stand against the technology by debuting a BS-detecting bot at the Cannes Lions to dispel the hype surrounding AI in advertising.
Though big tech has faced constant pushback from various sectors, advancements in AI still seem to be a priority for Silicon Valley, with major players like Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and Elon Musk all taking steps to incorporate the tech into their respective products and services.
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Motorola's campaign has so far not been lambasted online for its latest ad made with OpenAI's Sora, unlike Toys 'R' Us.
It may be because people think its premise of a simple fashion show spotlighting clothes designed with the brand's logo suits the use of AI.
It could also be that because it's advertising a smartphone with an AI feature, netizens find it an appropriate use of generative AI.
Or it could simply be that Motorola only released the ad in France because the audience there is less critical of the technology.
Whatever the case, there seems to be a limit to how brands can use generative AI without receiving some form of backlash.
Hence, companies and agencies, both big and small, should tread carefully when using it in their creative campaigns.
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Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang
