AI vs. Humans: The Battle for Creative Supremacy

It’s a mantra as old as time: “Adapt or Die”. Artificial Intelligence continues to loom large over almost every industry, with the advertising world not immune to its disruption. So instead of burying our heads in the sand, how can marketers harness the extraordinary capabilities offered by the technology? And more importantly, have we now reached the point where a solely AI-created ad can deliver the same impact as one produced by humans? Well, with iconic sportswear brand Puma recently simultaneously releasing an ad from each camp, we decided to put them to the test to find out!

Firstly on the “human” side of the ring, “Go Wild” placed a spotlight on the rewarding feeling of a “Runner’s High”, featuring a humorously relatable scenario with the iconic backing soundtrack of Afroman’s 2000 hit “Because I got High”. On the other side of the ring representing the Robot was “Agentic Prototype”, delivering a more conventional message around athleticism and high performance via a thrilling, high-octane story.

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While some within the industry believe AI lacks the ability to craft emotion in the same way as humans, “Agentic Prototype” clearly shows that with the right prompts AI is more than capable in this respect. And while the initial hypothesis was that the uncanny valley effect might be a little too obvious and off-putting, the opposite in fact proved to be true. The powerful visuals instead prompted people to focus on the core themes of perseverance, strength, and tenacity. People enjoyed the high-energy approach which worked to both grab attention and elicit a positive emotional response.

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Though “Go Wild” was found similarly attention-grabbing, a less enthusiastic response owing to the narrative’s links to narcotics meant much of this attention was born from a place of irritation. Furthermore, the polarizing nature of the theme meant “Agentic Prototype’s” motivational storyline saw it pull ahead as the concept with wider appeal among Americans. The AI-generated creative also felt more aligned with people’s expectations of the athletic powerhouse, helping people more seamlessly connect the key themes back to Puma.

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In contrast, branding was an area in which “Go Wild”s cheeky link to illicit substances held its performance back, jarring with peoples’ ideas and expectations of the athletic brand. With a stronger focus on branding elements adorning each character’s apparel (thus ensuring the ad both looked like and felt like an ad for Puma), the AI version again pulled ahead in strength of brand linkage.

While until only very recently was AI viewed by the industry as an unpredictable animal that creators and users would ultimately struggle to tame, the power of the AI-produced Puma creative was in fact its ability to better deliver on the fundamentals for great advertising. Without breaking any new boundaries or going too far outside the (creative) box, the ad simply worked to deliver a single-minded message that centered around themes that were within the brand’s wheelhouse. Simultaneously ensuring the brand was front and center throughout (in a clear and likeable way) meant the AI-creative ticked more of the boxes for effectiveness.

And while this piece is in no way intended to undermine the touch that only a human can offer, it does serve as a reminder that if we don’t place the consumer at the forefront of all our creative endeavors then AI will continue eating our lunch. Developing truly effective advertising requires adhering to the core pillars which have stood the test of time.