SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

WHILE ACTORS ARE BUSY PROTECTING THEIR PERSONAL IP AGAINST AI-GENERATED DEEPFAKES, BRANDS ARE EXPLORING AI-POWERED CAMPAIGNS. WHAT LIES AHEAD?

- BY TAMANNA MOHANTY

IT IS DIWALI 2021.

India, like the rest of the world, is reeling from the physical as well as financial pain induced by the pandemic. As local businessmen are bracing for yet another lacklustre festival season, a Cadbury Celebrations spot, helmed by none other than Shah Rukh Khan (SRK), takes the country by storm. But there's a catch! SRK, in his familiar cadence, is promoting the local store down the corner.

From a Fashinova Emporium in a small town, say Indore, to a Ravi Electronics in Pune, and a Shivam Electronics in Parel, King Khan is leaving no store untouched. “Iss Diwali, apne paas waale Charu Creations se apne kapdo ki shopping karna.” But people are left perplexed. “How does SRK know Charu Creations from a small town like ours? How can they afford King Khan, that too, amid a pandemic?” they ask.

Back home in Mumbai, SRK is at ease: he knows he did not have to give a hundred voice-overs or shoot scores of hyperlocal versions of the clip.

Mondelez India’s AI-led Cadbury Celebrations campaign from Diwali 2021, called #NotJustACadburyAd was a hyperlocal experiment that used machine learning (ML), built in partnership with AI firm Rephrase.ai and adtech platform DeltaX, to personalise thousands of ads for small retailers across India. SRK’s face and voice were recreated using ML, and each ad was served across Facebook and YouTube to users near the featured shop.

The campaign reached 2,500+ local business owners across 500+ PIN codes, covering grocery, clothing, footwear, eyewear, and electronics. It went on to win the Cannes Titanium Lion and Grand Prix for Creative Effectiveness, which could be considered as advertising’s highest honours.