AI ADVERTISING       

There was a time when bad adverts required effort, and were considered innocent. Someone had to physically typeset the wrong price. A human being had to approve “GRAND OPPENING”. It took teamwork to get it wrong. It was honest human error. Now we have AI and we’ve decided to use it like a toddler handed a tattoo gun. Seeing these badly executed adverts is like biting into what you thought was a chocolate chip cookie and discovering it’s raisins. Technically similar, yet spiritually devastating and disappointing.

I understand the allure. These tools can generate images and copy in seconds. It’s remarkable and revolutionary but seconds is also the amount of proofreading some of these ads receive. Giving AI full control of your advertising without checking it first is like letting a baboon on tik do your bookkeeping. Fast? Yes. Reliable? No. Using AI without oversight is like microwaving a steak and calling yourself a chef. The technology isn’t the problem, the use is. AI is a drafting assistant, not your creative director. What’s the harm? Spelling mistakes reduce consumer trust. Studies show typos signal low credibility. Wrong pricing is not just embarrassing, it can become legally binding under consumer protection laws. 

Let’s not forget the anatomical horror of extra limbs. Humans are wired to detect abnormalities and are unsettled by distorted anatomy. This is called the uncanny valley; a response where almost-human images trigger discomfort. So when your AI mascot has extra appendages, you’re not looking futuristic, you look like a medical case study. Distinctiveness in marketing matters. If your ad looks like everyone else’s, congratulations you’ve camouflaged your business. AI is a tool. It is not your marketing department, your proofreader, and your brand strategist rolled into one. It produces what you prompt and what you tolerate. 

Every advert should not look like it attended the same minimalist branding workshop. Has the entire small-business community ordered their personality from the same catalogue? Use AI to brainstorm, draft and accelerate ideas but check spelling and prices, read the words out loud. Ask yourself whether your business is best represented by a cartoon whose smile is stretched too wide. 

So please take pride and the time to zoom in to count your fingers. Because if I see one more six-fingered cartoon businessman inviting me to a “Grate Sail,” I won’t be angry, I’ll just quietly reach for a bucket.