AI in Marketing: Efficiency Tool or Creativity Killer?
Artificial Intelligence has moved into our daily lives. It is no longer just a buzzword at tech conferences; it is on the desk of every CEO, marketer, and freelancer. Some see it as a "superpower," providing abilities they did not have before, while others see pure efficiency: faster copywriting, instant strategic outlines, or automated video editing. This year, we have been asked in numerous interviews about the internal processes at Prisma: how we integrate AI into our work without losing what constitutes the essence of marketing.
Artificial Intelligence has moved into our daily lives. It is no longer just a buzzword at tech conferences; it is on the desk of every CEO, marketer, and freelancer. Some see it as a "superpower," providing abilities they did not have before, while others see pure efficiency: faster copywriting, instant strategic outlines, or automated video editing.
This year, we have been asked in numerous interviews about the internal processes at Prisma: how we integrate AI into our work without losing what constitutes the essence of marketing.
The golden rule: do not trust a machine with strategy!
Whoever works on your marketing, be it an agency, an internal employee, or a freelancer, everyone must keep one principle in mind: Marketing rewards uniqueness and novelty.
"Algorithms are built from past data. If your strategy and creative foundations come entirely from AI, then your brand will be just like the average, because AI itself is the statistical average."
If a campaign plan starts with "prompting," the human insight that differentiates you from competitors is lost. AI is worth using in execution and testing: here it can truly raise quality and radically increase speed. But the foundations, the "soul" of your brand, must remain in human hands.
The audience sees everything
It is important to understand: you are not the only one who knows about AI; your customers do too. Generative content is often associated with negative connotations today: laziness, shallowness, "soulless" work. If the audience senses an "AI smell" on a campaign, trust is immediately shaken.
Here are some instructive examples from 2025, where the excessive use of technology backfired:
Case Study: Coca-Cola’s 2025 „Holidays Are Coming” AI Scandal
For decades, Coca-Cola has owned the "holy grail" of Christmas marketing. The sight of the iconic red trucks signifies the start of the holiday season for generations. In 2025, however, the company made a bold (and according to many, reckless) decision: the classic commercial was recreated 100% using generative artificial intelligence.
What exactly happened? The company edited the final result from over 70,000 AI-generated clips, using models such as Runway, Luma, and Leonardo. Although technical progress was spectacular compared to 2024 experiments, the audience reaction was overwhelmingly negative.
Why did the campaign fail in the eyes of the public?
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The „Uncanny Valley” effect: Although the trucks and lights were spectacular, the AI-generated animals (polar bears, seals, pandas) became "too perfect." Viewers described those interactions, which should have been heartwarming, as "plastic," "lifeless," and "creepy."
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Logical blunders: Sharp-eyed viewers immediately spotted typical AI errors: truck wheels that did not rotate but slid on the asphalt, varying logo shapes on the trailers, and physical impossibilities in movements.
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Brand alienation: Coca-Cola’s slogan for decades has been: „The Real Thing.” In this context, a completely synthetic advertisement without human involvement (actors, cinematographers, set designers) seemed incredible. The audience felt the production was a "cheap saving" from one of the world's richest brands.
"Coca-Cola's 2025 commercial is the best argument for why marketing should not be left entirely to algorithms. We got the form, but we lost the soul of Christmas."
Case Study: McDonald’s Netherlands - „The Most Terrible Time of the Year”
While most brands present Christmas as an island of love and peace, McDonald’s Netherlands chose Christmas chaos, stress, and annoyance as their theme in a bold (and ultimately ill-fated) move. The campaign was created 100% with the help of generative AI, aiming to hold a mirror to holiday expectations.
The video parodied the famous Christmas song: „It’s the Most Terrible Time of the Year.” It featured a series of AI-generated scenes: burnt cookies, collapsing Christmas trees, Santa stuck in traffic, and cyclists slipping in the snow. The message? Escape to a McDonald’s until January and wait out the end of the chaos there.
Why did it trigger public outrage?
Most viewers found the campaign "soulless" and "depressing." At Christmas, most people look for emotional warmth, not the magnification of stress, especially not from a technology (AI) that many already consider cold. Due to distorted faces and unnaturally moving limbs, viewers simply labeled the visuals as "scary." McDonald’s Netherlands deleted the video from all channels after just three days.
Summary
AI is a fantastic assistant but a terrible marketing director. At Prisma, we believe that technology is meant to free up our time for real creative thinking, not to replace it. Use AI for efficiency, but keep the human spark for uniqueness!