OpenAI leans into ‘human craft’ for debut ChatGPT brand campaign – Creative Review
“AI use is deeply personal, and the most powerful stories come directly from how people experience ChatGPT,” says OpenAI’s international marketing director Elke Karskens on the new campaign
In a bid to further cement ChatGPT’s prominent place in our everyday lives, OpenAI has released its first major campaign for the popular AI chatbot. Following a much-anticipated Super Bowl ad earlier this year, which looked to position ChatGPT as one of humanity’s greatest inventions, this latest marketing venture instead grounds itself in the day-to-day realities of users.
Comprising three short films and a series of photographs, the campaign is set to run in the US, UK and Ireland across outdoor, primetime, TV, streaming and social. At the heart of the campaign, which was developed by OpenAI’s in-house creative team, is the notion that ChatGPT can broaden your horizons and help you achieve your goals.
In a similar vein to AI startup Anthropic’s recent ad for AI assistant Claude, this campaign spotlights the never-ending possibilities for how ChatGPT can help you.
This messaging is captured in the films directed by Miles Jay (through Smuggler), which were made in collaboration with creative agency Isle of Any. Shot on 35mm around the US, the cinematic spots show ChatGPT helping users cook a date night meal, plan a road trip with siblings, and devise a fitness regime.
These are accompanied by a collection of out-of-home images, shot across the US and UK by Samuel Bradley and styled by Heidi Bivens, which hint at ChatGPT’s important role in assisting users with their queries, be it providing a guide to fixing a broken down car, or serving as a personal trainer for your workout.
The campaign marks a crucial chapter for OpenAI, as the company navigates not just a rapidly expanding userbase, but also a growing climate of scepticism towards AI. These marketing efforts hope to position ChatGPT – and by extension other AI programs – as a friendly helper, not the devourer of jobs and livelihoods that some fear it to be.
“With more and more people across the UK using and loving ChatGPT, we want to showcase how it can make your life easier and help you do more of what matters to you,” says Elke Karskens, international marketing director at OpenAI.
Crucially, the campaign was created largely through human endeavour, with the team at OpenAI noting that: “Human craft was central to the campaign’s creation. Every frame was shot on film, shaped by directors, photographers, producers and many more masters of craft.” While ChatGPT itself has been credited as a “behind the scenes co-creator … streamlining shot lists and organising schedules.”
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