Advertising Program Director & Professor John Swan Talks AI and Advertising

The oxymoron.  

You know what that is. Two seemingly contradictory words or concepts used in conjunction.  

Jumbo Shrimp. Bittersweet. Original Copy. The Only Option.  

AI and Advertising. 

Yes, as we all are aware Artificial Intelligence (there seems to be an oxymoron somewhere in there) is the rage these days. It is going to take over the advertising world they say. Who needs copywriters or creative teams to generate ads anymore? Conversational AI will do it for us. 

Or will it?  

Perhaps AI can write promotional copy used to sell things. There is little doubt it will do so and likely do it very well. 

But advertising isn’t about promotional copy. It is about building brands. And building brands relies on a few very human aspects.  

First, advertising is based in a consumer truth, an insight. These are the things that truly drive consumers to do the things they do. They are not obvious. They reside below the surface. And these insights are very human. They do, after all, capture what is called human nature. 

Second, On the human level is where brands and consumers connect. This connection makes advertising resonate. It is the ultimate bond between the consumer and the brands they love. The brands they advocate for. It makes consumers cry over soft drinks and gum and laugh over beer and car insurance. It makes Moms feel they are the best mom on the block, and big sisters feel like the luckiest people in the world. 

All that said, is there room for analytics and AI in advertising? Of course there is. For the scientific components of advertising such as media and some elements of consumer behavior research. They will also play a key role in many of the promotional focused components of the IAC mix that are focused on selling, rather than building brands. 

But there is a simple truth to what advertising really is. 

It doesn’t trick us into craving something we don’t want. 

It reminds you to do what you already want to do. 

It is a mirror. 

It isn’t about selling a product. 

The brands it creates deliver a feeling. 

Advertising is about “happiness”, providing a solution to people’s wants and needs. 

It is a creative enterprise, based on an “aha” moment that can speak deeply to people when done correctly. 

And as far as I know, that can only be created by human beings.