The AdNews end of year Perspectives, looking back at 2023 and forward to next year.
2023 was the year that generative AI exploded, and CGI went mainstream, and it seemed that no marketer could talk about anything else…. except for Barbie of course!
We braced for a future that no one could quite imagine, and new tools launched at the speed of light – promising to solve all our problems and more.
We were amazed and delighted when we saw brands like Jacquemus create their scroll-stopping bags on wheels content – which turned their purses into vehicles rolling down the streets of Paris. With over 48M views, everyone was covering and talking about it.
Was it real? Was it fake? Did it even matter?
That was the OG super-real fake ad that has spurred countless copy-cat campaigns since then.
Month on month, we’ve seen AI’s impact on content production and creation. On Influencer marketing and community management.
And while there was a shared excitement about the newness and opportunities that generative AI offered, there was an even bigger sense of nervousness and unease about what it meant for our jobs, our creativity, and our work.
And it wasn’t just us marketing folk.
Writers went on strike.
Actors did too.
Universities scrambled.
Students rejoiced.
Conversations continue about the ownership of information and creative, the ethics involved in the whole thing.
In 2023 we realised that it’s a powerful beast and we should proceed with caution.
What to expect from 2024
The power and the impact of generative AI was unlike any other tech promise that had come before. The metaverse? Slow moving. NFTs, not sticking.
Generative AI has shown that it’s here to stay.
So, what exactly does this mean for 2024 and beyond? And what does this mean for social media in particular?
Well, if we get lazy, there is a big risk that content and copy start to lose the human touch that make it unique – imperfect even.
If social media managers are seeing AI tools as the solution to short-cut their to-do list, they might be inadvertently diluting the human elements that consumers crave in their interactions with brands.
On the flip side, generative AI can empower creators to bring their big, wild, ideas to life in a way that wasn’t possible before. It can help make pre-production faster and insights richer.
The ‘final’ Beatles song featuring all four members was to be released using AI technology to piece together the group’s voices into one track.
How amazing is that?
I am hopeful there will be more positive creativity in 2024. Creativity that brings us together and keeps us going.
Mary Proulx, co-founder Bread Agency.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.