Advertising

The Rise of AI-Generated Commercials: What It Means

The Rise of AI-Generated Commercials: What It Means

7 Min Read

The advertising landscape is shifting fast, and AI-generated commercials are leading the charge. Built by machine learning models rather than production crews, these TV ads promise scale, speed, and efficiency for brands of all sizes. But as this technology takes hold, marketers face real questions about authenticity, creative integrity, and long-term impact.

What Are AI-Generated Commercials?

AI-generated commercials are ads built using artificial intelligence to automate core creative tasks, from writing scripts and editing video to voicing narration and designing visuals. Unlike traditional ad production, which relies on human talent and lengthy timelines, AI platforms generate finished TV spots from just a few inputs.

Why AI-Generated Commercials Are on the Rise

This surge in AI-generated content isn’t random. It’s rooted in real market pressures.

  • Budgets are tighter. AI can alleviate certain high-cost components of production, making it accessible to brands that previously couldn’t afford commercial content.
  • Speed is non-negotiable. AI enables brands to respond to trends in hours instead of weeks.
  • Creative tech is improving. Generative models are delivering more sophisticated narratives, visuals, and even voiceovers that pass for studio-grade.
  • Small brands want a seat at the table. Democratized tools allow SMBs to compete with enterprise brands on creative output and campaign volume.

The appeal isn’t just theoretical. Brands are already leaning into AI-driven production to meet content demands in a fast-moving, fragmented media landscape.

How Brands Are Using AI to Create Commercials

Marketers are experimenting with AI across every phase of the creative process. Even big brands have joined the push: Coca-Cola used AI to generate a holiday spot, blending traditional themes with modern automation, while Nike created a commemorative piece featuring Serena Williams, enhanced through AI-driven visuals.

Whether it’s full-length ads or campaign elements, AI is shifting from novelty to creative utility. Brands aren’t replacing human teams, but they’re streamlining, augmenting, and accelerating how those teams work.

Advantages of AI-Generated Commercials

AI commercials bring a clear set of benefits that explain their growing footprint in ad tech stacks:

Rapid Iteration for A/B Testing

Testing ad creative used to take weeks. Now, AI tools generate multiple ad variants, each with different visuals, scripts, or calls to action, in just minutes. Marketers can launch, test, and optimize in near real time, using performance data to identify what resonates.

It’s an upgrade from guesswork to precision. A/B testing is no longer a bottleneck; it’s a standard part of the creative cycle.

Effortless Multilingual Localization

Localization used to mean separate workflows for every market. Now, AI can translate, dub, and subtitle creative at scale — without losing fidelity.

A single ad can also be adapted into dozens of languages, often within hours, making it easier for brands to scale campaigns globally while preserving local nuance. It’s not just more efficient, it’s more consistent.

Always-On Content Production

AI allows marketers to shift from campaign bursts to continuous content production. With tools capable of generating commercials on demand, brands can maintain a steady drumbeat of relevant messaging, whether tied to a product drop, a seasonal trend, or a cultural flashpoint.

Disadvantages of AI-Generated Commercials

Despite its promise, AI-generated creative has its drawbacks. Some are technical, others are creative, and most require human oversight to avoid missteps.

Lack of Brand Voice Consistency

AI is pattern-driven, not purpose-driven. That means it often struggles to capture a brand’s voice with nuance. Without clear guardrails, output can feel off-brand or inconsistent.

While tools continue to improve in customization, it still takes human input to guide tone, maintain brand identity, and ensure message clarity. Otherwise, the result can sound like every other AI ad — generic, safe, and forgettable.

Limited Emotional Resonance

AI can mimic tone, but it doesn’t have feelings. Human creatives can build stories that stir emotion, draw on cultural insight, and tap into universal truths. AI is better at remixing what already exists than creating something with true emotional depth.

That limitation becomes more obvious in TV advertising campaigns that are designed to inspire or connect, rather than just convert.

Potential Consumer Skepticism

Consumers are catching on. They recognize when an ad feels machine-made, and their reactions can be a mixed bag.

Over-polished visuals or lifeless voice-overs can trigger suspicion or disengagement. When audiences feel they’re watching content built for efficiency rather than authenticity, it can erode trust.

Brands that use AI must do so transparently, and with human oversight to guide intent, context, and meaning.

AI vs Human-Created Commercials: Key Differences

The debate between AI and human creative isn’t binary — it’s contextual. Each approach brings distinct strengths, and most brands will end up using a blend of both.

Creative Control

AI produces what you tell it to. Humans create what you didn’t know you needed.

While AI tools offer increasing customization, they’re still rooted in predefined logic. Human creatives can break conventions, invent formats, and tell stories with edge and originality.

Emotional Depth and Storytelling

We just mentioned this, but it needs to be emphasized. Human storytelling still wins when it comes to emotion. Advertisers looking to build long-term brand equity or spark a deep audience connection usually need that human perspective.

Production Timelines and Budgets

AI dramatically compresses video production timelines and budgets. Campaigns that used to take weeks can now be completed in a day. It’s a major unlock for small businesses or brands running high-volume, lower-funnel campaigns.

Meanwhile, human-led ads often justify their cost and timeline for marquee campaigns that require craft and narrative ambition. It’s not either/or — it’s about aligning production approaches to marketing objectives.

The Future of AI-Generated Commercials

AI-generated creative isn’t going anywhere. It’s only getting smarter, faster, and more integrated.

Expect more advanced personalization, where ad content adapts dynamically based on viewer data. Real-time optimization will become standard, with streaming ads tweaking themselves mid-campaign. AI will also converge with emerging formats like AR, VR, and interactive TV, opening new possibilities for immersive storytelling.

But alongside this progress, ethical concerns will intensify. Transparency, bias mitigation, and creative integrity will become non-negotiable. The likely future isn’t AI replacing human creativity — it’s AI elevating it.

Performance TV: An Advertiser’s Best Friend

Want to stay ahead as AI reshapes the future of TV advertising? MNTN’s performance marketing platform helps you adapt with scalable creative solutions and data-driven automation so your campaigns stay relevant, efficient, and effective. With tools like Creative-as-a-Subscription™ and AI-powered targeting, your brand can produce and deliver commercials that perform in today’s fast-evolving media landscape.

Here’s how MNTN Performance TV supports the future of AI-driven creative:

  • Creative-as-a-Subscription™ – Get fresh, high-performing CTV creative on demand, without the traditional production delays.
  • MNTN Matched – AI-powered targeting ensures your Connected TV ads are served to the right viewers at the right moment.
  • Verified Visits™ Attribution – Tracks site visits and conversions tied to ad exposure, helping you measure creative effectiveness.
  • Automated Optimization – AI continuously fine-tunes your campaigns to maximize results from every impression.
  • Premium CTV Inventory – Run your AI-generated ads on top streaming platforms where viewers are actively engaged.

Bring AI-generated creative to life with campaigns that perform — sign up today to get started with MNTN’s self-serve software.

AI-Generated Commercials: Final Thoughts

AI-generated commercials offer speed, efficiency, and scale, but they also challenge the way we think about creativity. As the tools evolve, the smartest brands will use AI to complement, not replace, human storytelling. The future belongs to marketers who embrace both sides of the equation.