As AI-made “slop” clogs feeds, some brands are trying a different kind of label: not “made with AI,” but “not made with AI.” The pitch is simple—if consumers are increasingly suspicious of what they’re seeing, brands want to get in front of that skepticism by spelling out when people, images, and videos are real. Aerie is leaning hard into this with a campaign featuring Pamela Anderson that teases AI-generated models before revealing the talent is human. It builds on Aerie’s long-standing stance on authenticity—no retouching people since 2014—and a newer promise not to use AI to generate or manipulate people in its ads.
The consumer data makes the motivation pretty rational (and a little bleak): Gartner says 68% of consumers regularly question whether content is real, and 50% would prefer to spend with brands that don’t use generative AI in marketing. Cint adds that 63% believe brands have a duty to disclose AI use. Rachel Karten’s point lands with anyone who’s managed a comment section lately: it’s not just that people distrust AI content—many now assume real content is AI. Platforms aren’t exactly helping; Instagram head Adam Mosseri has suggested “It will be more practical to fingerprint real media than fake media” as feeds fill with synthetic content.
Some brands are getting very specific. Le Creuset has been proactively explaining in comments that certain eye-catching videos by digital artist Ian Padgham (@Origiful) use painstaking practical editing—not AI—because even obviously “crafted” work gets hit with “is this AI?” suspicion. Baby products brand Coterie has also told followers it won’t use AI-generated images on social, positioning the stance as a trust signal for parents—while still using AI elsewhere where it improves operations and customer experience. The reality check: these policies can cost more (Aerie says avoiding AI models increases production spend), and disclosure may soon be less optional anyway—New York passed a law requiring disclosure of AI-generated humans in marketing, set to take effect in June.
Read more at Wall Street Journal.