AI + Marketing Weekly: To AI or not to AI?

To AI or not to AI, is that the question?

First, Polaroid’s new Flip Camera spot invites us to ditch digital noise (and specifically calls out AI) and feel that grainy magic again.

Then a fan fires up Midjourney and a sense of humor and…an ad spec for Liquid Death goes viral in 24 hours.

Two opposite tools and AI outlooks, and two wins. Why? Both made people feel something special.

Polaroid hit our “slow down, breathe” button while we all feel overwhelmed with digital and AI.
The Liquid Death fan tapped in to their creativity and Gen Z's love of funny, off-beat humor.

Lesson: Choose the tool you, or your fans!, use, whether it’s AI or not, after you know your audience, their needs, their problems - what resonates with them, what they connect to.

Audience first → emotion first → creative idea → then pick the tech.

I look more closely at both ads, plus Unilever’s new in-house AI studio and a bullish forecast on AI agents, in this week’s AI + Marketing Weekly.

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Top AI + Marketing News

Polaroid Celebrates the Analogue Way of Life in Flip Camera Campaign

URL: Creative Review | 6-minute read

Overview: Polaroid's campaign embraces analog nostalgia with its Flip Camera, highlighting simplicity and authenticity.
Key Points: • Campaign taps into the trend of analog experiences in a digital world. • Flip Camera repositions Polaroid as a lifestyle brand for creatives. • Emphasizes storytelling through the lens of authentic, unplugged moments.
My take: Amidst all the AI buzz and digital noise, Polaroid's back-to-basics approach reminds us of the power of simplicity and offline/real-life moments. It's like hitting pause in a world constantly fast-forwarding with technology (I can hardly keep up and I send a weekly digest 😬), a smart move to connect with audiences seeking genuine experiences.

Unilever Debuts AI Design Unit to Shift from TV-first Model

URL: Marketing Dive | 5-minute read

Overview: Unilever launches an AI-driven design unit to enhance digital-first strategies and reduce reliance on traditional TV advertising.
Key Points: • AI unit focuses on personalized digital campaigns and agile creative production. • Aims to increase brand agility and responsiveness in digital channels. • Shifts towards data-driven insights to optimize ad spend and creative impact.
My take: Unilever’s jump into AI-powered creativity not only modernizes their marketing game but also sets a trend for brands aiming to stay ahead. It’s refreshing to see a global giant embrace digital innovation to connect more authentically with today’s consumers. TV ads also isn't entirely dead but it can't be too much of a significant part of a brand's media mix anymore. (Speaking of, Mom, could you upgrade your Hulu account, that I steal from you, to the non-advertising tier, ty!)

3. How Unilever Used AI to Make Soap Go Viral

URL: The Wall Street Journal | 7-minute read

Overview: Another one for Unilever, bb! The company leverages AI algorithms to optimize soap marketing campaigns, achieving viral success through targeted digital strategies.
Key Points: • AI-driven insights identified viral triggers and optimized campaign placements. • Campaign achieved significant reach and engagement across digital platforms. • Demonstrates AI’s potential to enhance consumer engagement and campaign effectiveness.
My take: Unilever’s soap sensation through AI shows that data-driven decisions are so helpful for modern marketing and to understand what your audience wants, now.

Agencies Create Specialist Units to Help Marketers Solve for AI Search Gatekeepers

URL: Digiday | 3-minute read

Overview: Marketing agencies launch specialized units to assist brands in navigating AI-driven search algorithms and gatekeepers.
Key Points: • Agencies offer AI-focused SEO strategies and content optimization. • Addresses challenges posed by AI algorithms in search engine rankings. • Provides insights into adapting SEO tactics for AI-driven search landscapes.
My take: Agencies are stepping up to crack the AI code in search engines, but is it too soon to tell what is working? I'm torn. I'll share an upcoming post on all things AI SEO, too, soon. Need to put my own research into overdrive on this topic as it's moving fast.

AI Authenticity: Why Human Connection Will Drive Marketing H2 2025

URL: The Drum | 5-minute read

Overview: The Drum explores AI's role in fostering authenticity and human connection in marketing strategies for the second half of 2025.
Key Points: • AI tools augment, rather than replace, human creativity and emotional resonance. • Emphasizes the importance of human-centered storytelling and personalization. • Predicts a shift towards more empathetic and authentic brand communications.
My take: Brands should prioritize AI technologies that enhance human connection and authenticity, driving deeper engagement and loyalty among consumers...not replacing it.

Liquid Death's AI Spec Ad Goes Viral: Passion Projects, IP Nightmares

URL: DesignRush | 4-minute read

Overview: Liquid Death’s AI-generated ad achieves viral success by tapping into niche humor and internet culture.
Key Points: • AI-generated content resonates with Gen Z through unconventional humor. • Demonstrates the potential of AI in creating viral marketing campaigns. • Raises questions about IP rights and creativity in AI-generated content.
My take: Liquid Death's fan's AI ad going viral shows how AI can push creative boundaries to capture internet trends. It also shows real humans and fans can have a bigger place in creation and celebrating of their favorite brands. Funny it took an AI tool to realize that. But it makes sense giving the opportunity to create with a lower barrier to entry and budget.

Posts I Love

Alex Wang - “AI Agents Are the New SaaS”

Alex suggests we’re at the beginning of a new paradigm: agents replacing apps. He sees GPT agents as the next-gen interface for many tasks, with custom workflows and memory making them feel more like collaborators than tools. See Post →

Brandon Redlinger - “Why Content Marketers Are Panicking (and What to Do About It)”

Brandon tackles the wave of anxiety among content marketers as AI floods the zone. His advice? Lean into strategic distribution, editorial voice, and the kind of brand POV that algorithms can’t replicate. See Post →

Luiza Jarovsky – “AI Book Club's Recommendations”

Luiza shares their AI Book Club's last 24 recommendations (full list in post). What book are you going to start?! See Post →

AI + Marketing Tools Added to the Directory This Week

All tools covered continue to be added to the 120+ AI + Marketing tool directory!

Influencer Hero

Automates the whole influencer-marketing stack, from finding creators and drafting outreach, to tracking posts and payouts, so lean teams can run data-driven campaigns without the spreadsheets.

Waymark Cinematic

Drag-and-drop a script or product URL and the platform generates polished, rights-cleared video ads (voice-over, music, visuals) ready for CTV and YouTube, cutting typical production time to minutes.

Zynous - AI Social Media Marketing

Uses generative AI to turn a single brand brief into cross-network post calendars, complete with captions, visuals, recommended hashtags, and send-time optimization.

Smartcat AI Agents

Takes your source copy, spins up multilingual drafts with context-aware AI translators, and routes them through reviewer “agents” that learn brand terminology as they go, slashing localization cycles.

Events on My Radar

Below is one more interesting AI + marketing event added this week to the full AI + Marketing Events blog post!

World Summit AI - October 8–9, Amsterdam, Netherlands (my old home!)

One of Europe’s top AI events, tracks include Generative AI, scaling, and AI in marketing/finance. Register →

New Cool AI + Marketing Jobs

Dow Jones - Director, Marketing GenAI Solutions & Modeling

A.Team - Product Marketing Manager - AI

Publicis Media - Associate Director, Verified Technology

DoorDash - Associate Manager, Marketing Technology, AI Solutions Architect

Thanks for reading til the end, friends! Would love to hear your thoughts, especially about the AI-powered Liquid Death fan-made ad and the forget-AI Polaroid campaign.