$800 and AI: The Creative Revolution of the Fake Spot Liquid Death

When an AI experiment surpasses 75% of advertisements on the market, the entire advertising industry wonders.

The Liquid Death AI phenomenon that's going viral

For the past three weeks, an advertising spot has caused a sensation on social networks. Not an official Liquid Death campaign, but a creative experiment that asks fundamental questions about the future of advertising.

The numbers that are striking:

• Produced Entirely with Veo 3 From Google
• Completed in 2 weeks Only
• Total budget: $800

This daring creation is by Too Short For Modeling with Amir Ariely, former global creative director at Google. An important detail: we are not talking about amateurs who “press a button”, but about real professionals who master their art.

System1 analysis that changes the game

System1, a global reference in measuring the creative effectiveness of campaigns, analyzed this experimental spot. The results speak for themselves:

Outstanding Creative Performance

• ✅ Outperforms 75% of water ads Analyzed in their database
• ✅ 85% of viewers identify correctly The Liquid Death brand
• ✅ Ranked among the Funniest Of their evaluation panel

These metrics place this AI experiment at the level of the best traditional advertising productions, with a paltry budget compared to industry standards.

A spot that divides as much as it fascinates

Points of friction identified

Despite its performance, this AI ad is not unanimous:

• Dark humor That is not suitable for all audiences
• Visual inconsistencies Between Some Planes
• Sound differences At Times
• Sensation of Artificiality For Some Viewers

The “Uncanny Valley” advertising effect

Some critics point to a lack of human emotion, the feeling that “it smells too much like AI.” An interesting phenomenon that reveals our biases when it comes to artificially generated content.

Efficiency Before Technical Perfection

However, the observation is clear: It works.

The fundamental advertising objective has been achieved:

• The message is getting through
• The Brand Is Remembered
• The emotion (laughter) is triggered
• Attention is captured

Technical imperfections become secondary to this demonstrated creative efficiency.

Buzz Strategy or Creative Revolution?

The viral marketing hypothesis

This experiment is clearly based on the current AI trend. Create a buzz by showing that you can create an effective ad for $800 with artificial intelligence? The objective has probably been achieved.

But beyond the buzz...

This achievement reveals deeper transformations in the advertising industry:

Lessons for the creative industry

1. Advertising AI comes out of the gadget

We are no longer in laboratory experimentation. Generative AI reaches a level of maturity that makes it possible to create effective and efficient advertising content.

2. The hybridization of human creativity + AI takes the advantage

The success of this spot does not come from AI alone, but from the combination of:

• Human Creative Vision (concept, artistic direction)
• AI tools (production, content generation)
• Technical expertise (prompt control, post-production)

3. Rethinking Roles, Not Deleting Them

The real debate is no longer “AI vs creatives” but “what place for everyone in the creative process?” AI is becoming an amplifier of creativity rather than a replacement.

The Questions Raised by This Experiment

Sustainability vs experimentation

It remains to be determined whether these approaches can be permanently integrated into coherent brand strategies, or if they remain one-off successes.

Impact on advertising budgets

If an $800 ad can outperform 75% of the market, what's the rationale for traditional creative budgets? This question is going to shake up the industry.

Democratization of creation

Is AI making ad creation accessible to small businesses? Or does it widen the gap between those who master these tools and those who don't?

The Future of Advertising Creation

This Liquid Death Experiment likely foreshadows the future of advertising: faster, cheaper, but requiring new skills.

The opportunities identified:

• Democratization Of Creative Production
• Acceleration Creation cycles
• Personalization We have a large scale
• Experimentation Low-cost

The challenges ahead:

• Formation Creative Teams
• Integration In Existing Processes
• Maintain Creative quality
• Differentiation In a Saturated Market

Conclusion: opportunity or threat?

Faced with these transformations, two visions are opposed:

The pessimistic view: AI will standardize creativity, eliminate creative jobs, devalue advertising budgets.

The optimistic vision: AI will democratize creation, free up time for strategic thinking, and allow more experimentation.

At HEYIA Studio, we lean more towards the second hypothesis: more opportunities than threats, provided you know how to adapt.

The challenge is clear: Master these new tools before the competition takes the advantage.

Is your team ready for this creative revolution? Contact HEYIA Studio at benjamin@heyiastudio.com to anticipate these transformations.