With Generative AI Brand Campaigns Coming Dangerously Fast, Smart Brands Will Bring Customers Along for the Ride.
- Mark Johnson
- Dec 1
- 4 min read
Artificial intelligence is evolving in real time, right in front of all of us. New models, new techniques, and new creative capabilities appear almost weekly. And because this evolution is so public, customers have become unusually attuned to it. They know AI is re.shaping creative workflows. They know it’s imperfect. And they absolutely know when brands are pretending nothing has changed.
For marketers, authenticity is no longer just about brand voice—it's about acknowledging reality. The brands that thrive will be those who bring customers into their AI journey rather than acting as if business as usual remains untouched
When Technology Evolves Publicly, Transparency Becomes a Advantage
One of the defining traits of AI is how visible its evolution has become. People interact with generative tools every day—refining prompts, testing ideas, exploring creative possibilities. Because of this hands-on exposure, they’ve become surprisingly good at recognizing when AI has influenced something. A slightly too-polished texture, a strangely phrased sentence, or a visual that feels just a bit “off” is enough for audiences to sense AI’s involvement.
Inside companies, AI is now part of almost every creative workflow. Teams use it to brainstorm, build storyboards, test variations, or localize content. Yet outwardly, many brands still tiptoe around mentioning it. There’s a lingering fear that acknowledging AI might make creative work seem less authentic or less human.
But silence often sends a louder signal than transparency. When customers detect AI and a brand says nothing, it creates an unintended disconnect. People want to understand how brands are using AI because they’re navigating the same shift in their own lives. Being open about it doesn’t diminish the work—it shows maturity and confidence. In a world where everyone knows AI is here, transparency feels refreshing.
Campaigns Are Showing How Quickly Customers Sense a Shift
If you want proof of how tuned-in audiences have become, just look at Coca-Cola. The brand's 2024 holiday campaign leaned heavily into AI-assisted production. The company didn't deny it, but the ads arrived without much context, leaving viewers to interpret the changes themselves. Many people sensed that the emotional texture felt different—less handcrafted, less familiar.
The company doubled down with AI in their 2025 holiday campaign, but once again didn't proactively manage the AI message. As a result, the conversation that emerged this year wasn’t about AI’s tremendous capabilities. Instead, many of the online conversations among consumers have focused on whether the AI-generated campaign is able to capture the emotional benefits of the brand effectively.
Compare this to the approach LEGO took when sub-par AI-generated creative for the brand hit the streets. When AI-generated artwork surfaced in a Ninjago quiz, fans immediately recognized the stylistic inconsistencies. Instead of sidestepping the issue, LEGO quickly clarified what happened and reaffirmed its standards. The response from customers was largely positive. They appreciated the honesty, and the brand reinforced trust instead of diminishing it.
These moments highlight an important reality: customers are not rejecting AI. They’re rejecting the sense that they’re being kept at arm’s length from it. When brands acknowledge their use of AI openly, the conversation becomes constructive rather than suspicious.
Bringing Customers Into the Process Humanizes the Brand and the Technology
The most forward-thinking brands recognize that involving customers in their AI journey isn’t a risk—it’s an opportunity to deepen connection. This doesn’t require revealing proprietary details or overwhelming people with technical jargon. It simply means offering a clear window into how AI fits into the creative process.
A short behind-the-scenes video showing early AI concept sketches, a social post explaining how humans refined the final direction, or a note in a campaign announcing, “We used AI to explore new ideas, and our creative team shaped the story you see here”—these kinds of gestures make a brand feel open and grounded. They also help customers understand that AI isn’t replacing human creativity but expanding it.
Customers appreciate this honesty because they’re learning, too. They’re experimenting with AI in their own work and lives.
When brands say, “We’re exploring what this technology can do and want you to be part of that evolution,” it creates a shared sense of curiosity. It transforms AI from something mysterious into something collaborative.
The Fundamentals of Branding Still Hold True, With or Without AI
Despite the rapid transformation AI is driving, the fundamentals of branding haven’t changed. Trust, empathy, consistency, and emotional resonance still anchor the relationship between brands and audiences.
AI may accelerate production or unlock new creative ideas, but ultimately human oversight is required to ensure a brand behaves in a way that feels human and also reflects its true self. Customers should know that there are real people guiding the decisions, shaping the ideas and protecting the identity of the brand they care about. They want to feel that AI is being used thoughtfully—not as a shortcut, but as a tool.
As technology advancements come faster by the minute, will anyone ever truly be “ready” for AI? It's doubtful. That's why marketers shouldn't try to pretend they have everything figured out. Instead, they should talk about AI with customers honesty. If a campaign was made with AI, acknowledge it upfront and solicit customer opinion. Bring them into the journey. Customers want brands to show that they understand the moment we’re all living through and are willing to communicate openly about how they’re adapting.
The brands that will lead the next era of marketing are the ones who treat AI as part of their evolution—and invite customers to join them. When brands embrace transparency, acknowledge imperfections, and keep human creativity at the center, trust not only remains intact—it grows stronger.
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