Fashion Brands Split on AI Models as Marketing Tool
Teddy Stratford, a New York menswear company, recently posted an ad featuring a man in a crisp summer shirt against an urban backdrop. The clothing is real. The model, boat, and cityscape are not-all generated by artificial intelligence.
The shift reflects a growing trend among brands using generative AI to produce social media ads. For small companies, the economics are straightforward: professional-quality images that would cost tens of thousands of dollars can now be created at a fraction of that price.
Bryan Davis, Teddy Stratford's founder, said AI lets his company skip hiring models, photographers, and securing shoot permits. "The images we're able to make are really on-brand, and elevate our look to where we want it to be," he said. "And they are not obviously AI. They look really real."
The technology also allows Davis to show diverse representation without coordinating with multiple models and photographers. "I can get a diverse crew of a dozen models that represent our brand well without going out and looking for people," he said.
The Authenticity Counteroffensive
Not every brand is embracing AI-generated marketing. Aerie, an intimate apparel brand owned by American Eagle Outfitters, launched a campaign last month explicitly rejecting the technology.
The brand pledged to never use AI-generated people or bodies in advertising. On its website, Aerie stated: "You deserve REAL in every image, every store & every moment. We believe transparency isn't a trend. It's our promise to you. No retouching. No AI. Because REAL MATTERS."
Diaper company Coterie made a similar commitment, writing on Instagram that "AI can't change a diaper" and that parenting content should reflect reality.
Consumer Connection Questions
Chris Gillett, a professional headshot photographer, questions whether AI-generated people can forge the same emotional connection with consumers as real ones. "I can look at an image of a happy couple, and I'm empathizing. But if I know those people are fake, I don't think I am going to empathize with them," he said.
Gillett acknowledged that some AI ads appear convincingly realistic, but said others "just feel off, or weird." He believes consumers increasingly value brands that prioritize authenticity, especially as AI-generated content becomes more ubiquitous.
"We're so disconnected now as it is, because phones are a filter between us and other humans, and now we just made it worse," Gillett said. "I have hope that human yearning for authenticity and authentic human connection will prevail."
Advertising has long relied on stylization-airbrushing, retouching, color-grading-to shape consumer perception. AI-generated models represent an extension of those practices rather than a wholly new approach. What differs is the transparency question: whether consumers know what they're viewing is synthetic.
For AI for Marketing professionals, the decision between AI-generated and real talent involves weighing cost savings against brand perception and consumer trust.
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