"However, I feel deja vu - cast your minds back to those shocked few days after the Brexit vote, when we all realized that the echo chamber of our social feeds did not actually reflect the diverse views of the whole of the UK. Is this just another example of us realizing everything is not as it seems online? Or maybe it's a case study for the effectiveness of bus-side advertising, but I digress."
"It is causing such debate because, just for a second, we all fell for it. We fell for the giant condom on the obelisk from Netflix or the eyelashes on the tube, which feels unsettling. The uncanny realization that now, with the tech and creative know-how, we can fake whatever we want - it is not just fake news articles; it is imagery, video, voice... anything."
"And it is because of this realization and the endless possibilities that CGI, AR and AI technologies unlock, that brands need to continue to lean into and explore what is possible. Back in the late 2010s, brands like Smirnoff reacted to echo chambers and started to help lift a lid on how targeted algorithms work, collaborating with Spotify to diversify listeners' music tastes by discovering new artists that their unconscious bias might have excluded from their repertoire."
Fake ads and stunts using CGI, AR, and AI are proliferating across platforms, from tube advertising to oversized public displays, prompting debate about the morality of faking imagery to drive attention. Social feeds and echo chambers previously masked broader public opinion, and similar online illusions now make fabricated imagery feel unsettling. The capacity to fake imagery, video, and voice highlights vast creative possibilities as well as ethical concerns. Brands can and should explore these technologies to create conversation while also educating audiences about targeted algorithms and digital manipulation. Responsible brands can help lift the lid on how platforms shape content and diversify exposure.
Read at The Drum
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