Generative AI in Video Ads: What Marketers Need to Know Now
AI is already baked into video advertising. 86% of U.S. buyers use or plan to use it. That's why speed and cost are no longer an advantage - they're table stakes.
The business case is clear. AI-powered YouTube campaigns deliver 17% higher ROAS than manual setups. Mondelez is cutting production costs by up to 50% with an AI tool built with Publicis and Accenture. The savings are real. The risk is what those savings do to the work.
Feeds are crowded with content that looks finished but feels forgettable. The variable that now decides performance isn't output volume - it's taste.
Who Is Chris Marcus?
Chris Marcus is the Chief Creative Officer at Colormatics. He leads the creative process and has directed national spots for PrizePicks, Squatty Potty, Fiverr, and Sleeper, working with Stephen Curry, Shaquille O'Neal, and Trevor Lawrence. His point of view: use AI, but protect human judgment.
The Trap: Confusing Efficiency With Effectiveness
"Brands think they are scaling creativity when they are really scaling mediocrity," Marcus says. He sees a steady pattern: more content, faster timelines, safer choices - and weaker outcomes.
We've already seen the backlash. Coca-Cola's fully AI-generated spin on "Holidays Are Coming" was faster and cheaper. It also felt less authentic to many viewers. Speed isn't the problem. Misplaced priorities are.
What To Use AI For (And What To Keep Human)
Use AI to compress the boring parts. Then reinvest the time and budget into the things that actually move the needle.
- Compress: testing, versioning, animatics, references, exploration.
- Invest: ideas, casting, performance direction, tone, and bolder creative decisions.
The market supports this approach. A 2025 Forrester study reported that more than 60% of U.S. agency decision-makers are already using generative AI, rising to 78% at larger agencies. The teams getting results aren't cutting creativity; they're protecting it.
3 Practical Steps for Sharper Visual Work in 2026
- 1) Lock a visual point of view. Your brand should be recognizable without a logo. Define camera choices, pacing, color, and performance style on one page. If you can't, it's not real enough to scale.
- 2) Cast for energy, not perfection. Real faces, imperfect timing, and human presence beat synthetic polish in crowded feeds.
- 3) Design for attention decay. Assume you have one second. Open strong enough to earn the next two. Keep momentum every beat.
Budgets are rising - U.S. digital video ad spend hit $64B in 2024 and is projected at $72B for 2025 - but more money doesn't equal more impact. The goal isn't more content. It's better content.
Balance Efficiency With Emotional Depth
"Separate what must be efficient from what must be human," Marcus says. Production mechanics can be optimized. Story, emotion, casting, and taste cannot.
When AI starts steering the emotional core, brands might save in the short term but drain long-term brand value. As Marcus puts it: "Emotional storytelling is not expensive. It is rare. There is a difference."
Think in Layers, Not Volume
Short-form and long-form should work together, not fight for attention.
- Fast, lightweight pieces: test ideas, maintain presence, feed learning.
- Fewer, higher-impact pieces: anchor identity, build memory, carry meaning.
Short-form wins clicks. Longer-form builds belief. Brands that only do one end up renting attention instead of owning it.
How Teams Should Adapt
- Smaller, sharper teams: fewer handoffs, faster decisions.
- Senior leaders closer to the work: taste at the point of creation.
- Clear creative ownership: one vision, fewer compromises, stronger execution.
The best campaigns Colormatics sees aren't the most "optimized." They're the most intentional. Clear idea. Confident tone. Human execution. AI helps you get there faster - it can't decide what "there" is.
Checklist: Before You Launch Your Next AI-Assisted Video
- One-page visual POV defined (camera, pacing, color, performance).
- AI used for testing/versioning; humans own story and tone.
- Open with a hook that earns the next two seconds.
- Cast for presence, not perfection.
- Short-form for learning and reach; long-form for meaning and memory.
- Budget reallocated from production waste to stronger ideas and casting.
- One person accountable for the final creative call.
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