Machine Tested, Marketer Approved: How AI Can Streamline the (Ad) Creative Process

5 Min Read

If you don’t feel like you’re drowning in conversations about artificial intelligence (AI) by now, we’re a little concerned you might actually be a robot. And if you’re anything like us, most of those conversations have been about the capabilities of AI and, just as quickly, the implications of these tools. 

Both of these are essential considerations, which is why we believe the marketing world can find a successful balance between new tech and the human touch. 

Jacob Trussell recently joined AdAge to discuss how AI can help streamline the ad creation process while maintaining the humanity that’s essential for effective marketing. Take a look at some highlights of the conversation. 

Creative Applications for Generative AI 

We get it—the rise of AI is certainly a lot to take in. But it’s essential to remember we’re still in the early stages of these tools. And that’s exactly what they are: tools. As Trussell put it in the webinar, think of today’s AI tools like a hammer. On its own, a hammer is still powerful and valuable, but the tool can’t do anything without someone wielding it. 

As many marketing teams continue doing more with less, there are ways we can mindfully use these tools to enhance and optimize the creative process. (Emphasis on mindfully.) Whether you’re making a TikTok or editing your Connected TV ads for seasonal use, here are three creative applications for AI: 

Brainstorming Ideas

There’s nothing worse than staring at a blank page with nothing coming to your mind. You know you have this project to work on, but you have no idea where to start. Your creativity well seems to have dried up—it’s a hot summer, we get it. 

This exact moment is a great use case for these AI tools. ChatGPT and similar platforms can take keywords and guidance you provide to give you some ideas. This can help you more efficiently tackle those preliminary ideas and get your final product crafted faster. 

Writing Narratives

Creating, assembling, and editing a cohesive and effective narrative can be difficult. Especially today, when marketing teams seem to have an endless list of tasks, it can be easy to get stuck on the details of your story. Or maybe you’ve crafted a great story, but you’re just not sure how it comes to an end. 

Whatever your storytelling woes may be, AI tools can help you write narratives, fill in gaps within your story, and captivate your audience. 

Simplifying Storyboards and Visualizations 

In the initial stages of creation, it can be difficult to know whether everyone in the room (or virtual room) has the same end product in mind. 

With visual AI tools, your team can use the project direction you have so far to create a quick visualization or storyboard. This allows the entire team to analyze the appearance of the ad earlier, ensuring everyone is on the same page throughout. With a more efficient review process, your team can prevent roadblocks that could interrupt the budget or timeline later on (AKA when you’re just ready to wrap up and go home). 

Do All of the Above with MNTN VIVA

As marketing and advertising teams search for new ways to work more efficiently, these AI tools are going to be incredibly beneficial. So you’d probably be excited if we told you that you could accomplish several of your AI video marketing goals in the same place, right? 

With MNTN VIVA, you can create, mix, and remix elements like generative video and audio, stock footage, and your own existing assets to create videos in record time. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or new to the creative space, you can fast-track video creation, iteration, and exploration with ease. Learn more and sign up for early access here. 

The Necessary Human Touch

While these AI tools are incredible, we’re not worried about them replacing entire marketing teams any time soon. There’s still a vital human touch that’s needed to create effective marketing materials. 

For example, these tools can’t keep up with all the latest news. They didn’t read the latest industry report that came out this morning with updated information. They also can’t remember that one time that brand really messed up with a poorly timed social media post, and some people are still talking about it. AI can’t get that context. But you know who can? Human marketers. 

Whether it’s to provide the initial creative direction, search for copyright issues, or ensure your final product takes your audience into consideration, humans are needed for this process. Throughout, remember to continue trusting your creative instincts—if you’ve got a bad gut feeling about an AI-created asset, take a closer look. 

For now, we’re viewing (and hoping you will, too) these programs as tools we can use to make our lives a little bit easier. Sure, we can’t predict the future. But, for now, we’re confident in saying that these can be beneficial, but they absolutely need humans operating them to be successful. 

Embracing (and Editing) the Robots 

While AI tools are rewriting the rules for how we produce ads, they will never be able to replicate the creativity of the living, breathing marketers that make up your team.

To make the most of our time as marketers, it’s vital to embrace these powerful, creative tools—but we’ve got to embrace them with care, awareness, and empathy for the other humans around us. Watch the full webinar here to learn more about creative applications for AI.