Puma Just Made a Bold Play in AI Advertising. Did It Win?

Puma has taken a big leap forward in what AI can do in advertising.

In collaboration with digital agency Monks, the sporting goods brand created a commercial entirely generated by AI agents. These agents handled every part of the process—from brainstorming ideas and writing scripts to producing the final video. According to the company, there were no human directors, editors, or writers (though there was some human involvement according to the AdAge video below.)

The result? A sleek, one-minute ad that if you didn’t know it was created with AI, you may not even be aware. It’s a bold experiment that highlights AI’s growing role in creative work.

It's important context to note that the ad wasn't made for actual commercial use - it's experimental and meant to be discussed and distributed in the media and online.

Puma is just the latest example of advertisers employing AI to create commercials, but there are many others, including Coca-Cola, BIC and Land Rover.

But here’s where things will get interesting: Not all consumers are on board with AI-generated ads.

Young consumers aren't very enthusiastic about AI-generated ads

In a study I worked on with the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) last year, we found a big disconnect between how advertising professionals and young consumers feel about AI being used in ads. We surveyed 300 US Gen Z and Millennial consumers, along with 75 ad industry executives, and the difference was clear:

1) 80% of industry pros think consumers feel positively about AI-generated ads.

2) But less than half of young consumers actually do.

Why the gap? A lot of it comes down to authenticity. Young people tend to view AI ads as less human, and that can make them feel a little off.

How brands can use AI ads more effectively

So how can brands like Puma experiment with AI without losing that human connection? Based on my research with IAB, here are three things that can help:

• Be transparent. Let people know AI was part of the process and explain why. Done right, transparency can build trust. Puma did this well IMO; the ad carries a caption clearly explaining that the ad was done for “R&D” purposes and not intended for commercial use.

• Choose the right platforms. AI content may feel more natural on platforms like social media, where audiences are used to seeing experimental, fast-moving content. This ad is making the rounds on social media right now, so props to Puma for whatever it did to seed the video into social platforms for discussion.

• Keep the bar high. Even if AI is involved, creativity, humor, and originality still matter. Consumers want AI ads to feel as engaging and well-made as anything created by humans. I think this ad is well-made; the humans look realistic and the scenes are believable. Some people quibble that the ad is just a bunch of quick cuts stitched together, and I agree that that might seem a bit lazy. I hope Puma’s next AI agent-created ad tells a seamless story.

Puma’s ad is a glimpse into where advertising is headed. AI has the potential to speed up production and open up new creative possibilities. And the use of agents to coordinate the process is controversial but also indicative of the future of AI-generated video.

Brands that embrace AI need to remember two important things: Keep your messaging authentic and relatable and bring audiences along by using humor and originality.