Unboxing the AI-generated KFC ad
A spec ad for KFC created entirely in AI has sparked a row over ethics and originality in advertising. Here, Olaf van Gerwen, founder of Chuck Studios, one of the companies whose work appears in the ad, responds
It’s been little more than a week since David Blagojevic published his AI-generated KFC ad, and already it would be fair to say that he has released the cat amongst the creative chickens. For many in this industry, his experiment confirmed their worst fears — that AI is a stepping stone that enables plagiarists and will soon put everyone out of a job.
Before jumping into the ramifications, it’s important to state that Blagojevic’s work was a drop in the ocean. He wasn’t looking to make a profit. In his own words, he sought to “test the boundaries of current AI tools when it comes to photorealism in the food and beverage world”. The fact he invested more than 300 hours into this process is testament to his dedication to the cause.
The problems stem from his own description of the experiment’s origins. Rather than starting out with “pen and paper” as first stated, Blagojevic’s ad was built using shots from real KFC ads directed by Joris Noordenbos for Chuck Studios and various others between 2022-23. I had the opportunity to speak to Joris, who argued that “if the goal was to recreate the ad as an experiment, it would have helped to show the process and acknowledge the source upfront. If it was meant to demonstrate skill, then offering a more original final result would have made the intention clearer.”
Irrespective of the intentions, the writing was soon on the wall. As one LinkedIn commenter put it, this was “further proof that AI — for all its advancements — can’t invent, but only reproduce what real artists have already created”.
For creatives that pride themselves on being original, I’m not surprised by this type of reaction. But here’s the thing: ‘originality’ is just a made-up construct. What we consider ‘original’ should instead be labelled as ‘fresh thinking’, as John Hegarty taught me.
As directors, we’re all guilty of borrowing from others — whether that’s from the Ancient Greeks or rival brands. It’s called taking inspiration. In music, it extends to sampling. My point: the human brain works no different from AI. Both combine historical data points to create something that wasn’t previously there. Different lines of thinking are connected to predict a desired and desirable outcome.
Although our brains operate in similar ways, a key point of differentiation is our ability to seize the initiative. While AI’s proficiency in following instructions and prompts is unrivalled, it struggles the moment it is asked to see if it’s any good. An abstract example of this in practice: it would have never followed in Rick Rubin’s footsteps and brought Aerosmith and Run-DMC together. The white rock band and black rap pioneers couldn’t be further apart. Even the musicians themselves had zero belief in the collab.
The music producer was immediately criticised for attempting to fuse polar opposites. Fast forward to the release of Walk This Way, and he was hailed as a genius. That’s because Rubin could envision how this would successfully blend into musical culture — a level of foresight that AI can’t replicate (at least, at the time of writing).
It’s not enough to have a seemingly endless content library with which to train AI tools. You also need the instincts, the brand understanding and the practical industry knowledge
Despite all the data AI trawls through, it lacks the lived experiences that humans bring to the table during the ideation process. Childhood memories, nostalgia, emotions, smells and flavours that have stuck with us — by combining these, mostly subconsciously, we’re able to produce something truly special. And even if AI could compete in this department, its inability to judge what resonates with audiences would still cause it to fall short.
Consider a small-town pizza place. For them, Gen AI is a saviour — a tool that rapidly churns out creative for bottom-of-the-funnel ads and images. Regardless of true quality, the mere fact they can quickly respond to trends gives them a competitive edge.
But the situation is more complex for brands using mass media communications strategies. When operating at a national or global scale, competition isn’t just fierce. It’s skilled. Brands in the same category, as well as those from vertical sectors, are hiring specialist agencies to cut through the noise. Premium creative that has been developed with love and attention remains important (because you’re not the sole provider of pizza on the town square) — but it must be balanced with a deeper, more strategic level of thinking.
It’s not enough to have a seemingly endless content library with which to train AI tools. You also need the instincts, the brand understanding and the practical industry knowledge to shape meaningful strategies that connect with the audiences that matter. This is where humans — and more specifically, agencies like Chuck Studios — come in.
Let me be clear: plagiarism should always be condemned when there’s economic gain involved. In that, the industry is aligned. But that wasn’t Blagojevic’s intention. Had he given credit where it was due at the first time of asking, his desire to see how far innovation could take him, and the boldness to put this into practice, may have been celebrated for pushing the conversation forward. As Joris put it: “This has been a super positive experience overall, pushing me to explore AI more deeply.”
I’ll leave you with a thought. Think about the traditional account role in creative agencies. Whether it’s compiling reports or overseeing manual processes, these seemingly menial tasks are crucial for developing talent. Switching to AI may drive efficiency, but it would risk robbing new generations of the lived experiences that propel the best creatives and other ad people to the next level.
The same applies to Blagojevic’s experiment. Without the groundwork laid by the original KFC shots, there would have been no foundation for his work. So let’s cool our jets and realise many jobs will never be lost. In our never-ending pursuit for something new, maybe we should pause before throwing away fresh thinking.
Olaf van Gerwen is founder and global creative director at Chuck Studios; chuckstudios.com
