Carrefour launches its first 100% AI ad: revolution or a simple marketing coup?

The retail giant Carrefour has just reached a historic milestone by unveiling its first advertising campaign entirely generated by artificial intelligence. Is this daring initiative, orchestrated by Publicis and Prodigious agencies, marking the beginning of a new era for advertising or is it simply a well-orchestrated communication coup?

An AI campaign deployed on a European scale

This innovative back-to-school campaign is currently being broadcast on several media (television and print) in four European countries: France, Belgium, Italy and Romania. The scale of this deployment testifies to Carrefour's ambition to position itself as a precursor in the use of artificial intelligence in marketing.

Detailed analysis: the strengths and weaknesses of this AI approach

Print: an undeniable technical success

The print visuals of this Carrefour campaign demonstrate an impressive technical mastery of generative AI. The quality is such that it becomes difficult to distinguish what really belongs to the artificial generation - paradoxically, it is a sign of success.

Notable point: no mention “generated AI” appears on these supports, suggesting a desire for the seamless integration of this technology.

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The TV commercial: technically correct but emotionally limited

While the technical production of the advertising film proves to be clean and effective, it lacks a certain amount of soul. The absence of palpable emotion and genuine surprise questions the current ability of AI to create emotionally engaging content.

The business challenges of advertising AI for Carrefour

Economic and strategic advantages

For Carrefour, this approach has several strategic benefits:

• Reduced production costs Significant
• Accelerating creation times Publicist
• Consolidation of a pioneer image technological
• Competitive differentiation in the retail sector

The impact on the spectator experience

On the consumer side, the balance sheet is more nuanced. Although functional, this AI ad lacks the “extra soul” that characterizes great memorable campaigns. It perfectly illustrates the current limits of artificial intelligence in terms of emotional creativity.

Advertising AI: rationalization vs reinvention

This Carrefour initiative raises a fundamental question about the use of AI in advertising creation. There are two opposing approaches:

The rationalization approach (adopted here): using AI to optimize existing processes, reduce costs, and speed up production.

The reinvention approach : exploiting AI to fundamentally rethink advertising creation, generate new forms of emotion and create new experiences.

Towards a new era of AI advertising?

Carrefour's audacity deserves to be commended. This first foray into 100% AI advertising paves the way for future innovations. However, it also reveals the challenges that must be met for artificial intelligence to become a real tool for emotional creativity and not only for technical optimization.

The future of AI advertising will depend on its ability to go beyond simple rationalization to achieve that famous “wow effect” that turns an ordinary spot into a memorable moment.