Skechers doubles down on AI ads despite creative backlash
Skechers is continuing to use AI-generated imagery in its advertising campaigns, ignoring widespread criticism from designers who say the ads look cheap and unprofessional.
The footwear brand faced backlash last year when creatives noticed its new ads featured telltale signs of AI generation: blurred illustrations, reality-warping backgrounds, and inconsistent visual elements. Recent ads spotted in New York City subways show the same problems - generic AI-generated women, bright paint splatters, and missing or inconsistent logos.
Designers have been vocal about their disapproval. One critic on Reddit described the campaign as "a total inconsistent and cheap-looking mess that looks like it is for a small shoe store," contrasting it with the alternative of hiring an illustrator to create a single polished image that could be reused across all marketing materials.
The cost of cutting out human creatives
The decision reflects a broader trend of brands using generative AI to reduce production costs and timelines. But the results highlight a persistent problem with AI-generated advertising: the output often lacks the coherence and polish of human-created work.
Skechers' approach trades consistency and visual quality for speed and lower expenses. The trade-off appears visible in the final product - ads that look hastily assembled rather than strategically designed.
For creatives, the Skechers campaign serves as a cautionary example. Understanding how AI tools work and where they fail can help designers articulate the value of human skill in visual communication. AI Design Courses and Generative Art Training resources can help creatives stay current with these tools while developing strategies to differentiate human-led work.
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