By Imy Brighty-Potts, Marketing and Content
AI content is here, both crude and credible, and the creative world is being shaken by the repercussions of anyone being able to make anything, at any time, using just the device in their pocket. This rapid evolution, naturally, has met with pushback, fuelling a countermovement towards more rough-and-ready, authentically human content and creative expression.
While many in our industry are toeing the line of engaging with AI while still trying to make clear their value as a human creator, concern is growing and the creative world is rumbling with efforts to show real people, with real stories, who made real things.
With this same mentality, there are a number of ways in which media, too, can drive authentic, human connection and brand awareness.
Moving into the real world
It has been argued that AI exists within the so-called uncanny valley, where the inability to decipher what we are seeing on screen breeds discomfort and distrust. From deepfake content creators to fictitious events, rarely does a week go by without news of AI-generated content having duped consumers.
This creates an opportunity for experiential activations that exist firmly in the real world. From pop-up events to immersive inventory, such as London’s Outernet, brands can become not only front-of-mind but literally right in front of the consumer.
Flyposting and street art
Take a walk around central London and you will see a wave of graffiti on paving stones, in chalk, with motivational or emotional phrases on them. One, near the7stars’ office reads, ‘It took a lot of sadness to be this soft’.
This is reminiscent of the recent resurgence of flyposting, one of the oldest forms of physical media. Whether tactically flyering near a competitor’s activation, or partnering with street artists to create community-led murals, brands have a multitude of ways to reach new audiences while promoting authentic art.
Sometimes, such experiences can happen by accident. Back in December, a new Banksy mural emerged next to a H&M activation at Tottenham Court Road, driving new audiences and fresh eyeballs onto the site.
Showing up in cultural moments
The comments section of a viral post can be a valuable tool. Hopping on trends and selecting cultural moments in which to participate demonstrates a human awareness AI cannot replicate. When brands engage in a human way, where readers can imagine a person on the other end writing it, they are more likely to engage. It humanises a brand to ensure more people observing feel they share values and identity markers with the people behind the media.
While AI will eventually form – and for many, already is – an essential part of the media and creative toolkit, there will always exist a space for raw, human-led content. In a world of volume without value, increasingly proliferated by AI babble and uncanny valley content, brands that show up in real and experiential ways will drive cut-through with consumers.
