In May, Conair Corporation's e-commerce team tested Amazon's Creative Agent-a new AI tool that builds end-to-end ad campaigns-by producing a 15-second video for subsidiary Cuisinart's food processor. The AI-assisted video secured 18% higher detailed page views and a 14% lower cost per detail page view compared to a conventional brand-produced video, while slashing production time from three to six months down to roughly four weeks.
The test suggests that generative video tools can dramatically speed up digital ad creation for consumer brands at a time when engagement with short-form video on e-commerce platforms is growing fast.
How the AI video stacked up against traditional production
The video shows an AI-generated family preparing a meal, with a voiceover highlighting the food processor's 14-cup capacity and versatility for everything from pesto to pie crust. The ad closes with the product and a reminder that it's from Cuisinart and available on Amazon. "We're moving faster than some of our peers on this," said Justin Swenson, senior vice president of e-commerce at Conair. "I think this test probably put us in an advantageous position in the category."
The move echoes a broader shift in AI for Marketing, where brands use generative tools to tighten campaign timelines. The Cuisinart food processor was chosen because it is a core product that lacked a video demonstrating its capabilities and key benefits, Swenson said.
Filling a production bottleneck
Conair's team decided to test Creative Agent after seeing it showcased at Amazon Ads' unBoxed conference last November. The e-commerce unit had been facing a backlog in producing advanced digital assets, with videos often taking months to complete once they entered the queue. "Now it's on us to figure out how to take this and scale it," Swenson said.
During the 30-day test in April and May, Conair worked with agency Global Overview, which fed detailed creative briefs into multiple prompts for the AI tool. Creative Agent generated roughly 80% of the video concept, while the agency handled the remaining work to meet brand standards.
Human editors still close the last mile
Despite the speed gains, human labor remained essential. Global Overview made manual corrections to the AI-generated video, fixing areas where the tool didn't execute properly-such as adding logos and adjusting colors to match Cuisinart's brand guidelines. Kelsey Smithuysen, Conair's director of Amazon advertising, said the technology can still alter brand logos, numbers, or letters, so oversight is required.
Smithuysen added that the AI-produced content connected well with shoppers because it leaned into the ease of using the food processor, showing it's not just for chefs or experienced cooks. Conair plans to accelerate its use of Creative Agent but needs to sort out workflow and prioritization details first.
Why this matters for marketing professionals
The Conair test offers a concrete blueprint: AI tools can cut video ad production from months to weeks while maintaining or improving performance metrics, but they don't eliminate the need for human creative oversight. Marketing teams looking to speed up their own video pipelines can expect to devote roughly 20% of project effort to manual polishing, especially for brand-sensitive elements. For teams scaling similar workflows, Generative Video Courses can help staff learn to manage AI outputs and maintain brand consistency.
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