{"id":165449,"date":"2026-08-31T14:51:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T19:51:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=165449"},"modified":"2026-08-31T14:51:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T19:51:25","slug":"ole-miss-study-explores-why-some-ai-ads-fail-while-others-succeed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/ole-miss-study-explores-why-some-ai-ads-fail-while-others-succeed\/","title":{"rendered":"Ole Miss Study Explores Why Some AI Ads Fail While Others Succeed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Use of artificial intelligence should match intent, theme of advertisement, researchers say<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By Clara Turnage<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Artificial intelligence can create realistic depictions of just about anything, but that does not mean advertisers should lean on the technology, according to a study led by University of Mississippi<\/strong> professors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some AI-generated or supported ad campaigns, such as Coca-Cola’s 2023 Create Real Magic platform<\/a>, are embraced and enjoyed by consumers. Others, however, such as Coca-Cola’s 2025 “Holidays Are Coming”<\/a> commercial, face mocking and customer backlash.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a new study published in\u00a0Journal of Interactive Advertising<\/a>, Ole Miss researchers Chang-Won Choi <\/strong>and Robert Magee<\/strong> sought to find out why consumer reactions differ and how advertisers can best employ AI in their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Nowadays, many marketers are just saying, ‘Hey, why don’t we use AI?’ but I don’t recommend that,” said Choi, assistant professor of integrated marketing communications<\/a>. “Marketers should start with the campaign idea first, and ask ‘Is AI necessary?’<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It’s a simple question. If the answer is yes, the reason why should be clearly understood.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coca-Cola’s Create Real Magic platform offered fans an opportunity to create art using the soft drink company’s logo through AI-generated images. Allowing users to create thousands of unique art pieces without AI would be difficult, if not impossible, the researchers said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“That’s an example of when consumers can easily understand why the advertiser used AI,” Choi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But advertisements where AI is used unnecessarily, such as creating animation that could be made by human designers, can leave consumers feeling upset or unnerved. In the case of Coca-Cola’s 2025 holiday commercial, those feelings led to one Youtube commenter calling the ad<\/a>, “The most profitable commercial in Pepsi’s history.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some consumer concerns arise from the uncanny valley effect<\/a>, where a human-like machine induces feelings of unease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We’re basically programmed to look at everything, whether humans or objects, and make snap judgments about them.,” said Magee, associate professor of integrated marketing communication. “We make these quick decisions, but then our conscious mind reflects and thinks, ‘Machines do not feel, but this machine is telling me that it does.’<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“That’s where this conflict comes from, when something is almost human, but not quite.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using AI to try to engender an emotion, such as a generated depiction of a hurt or hungry child, can leave consumers feeling tricked, the researchers said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Marketers need to be very careful to remind people that they are an organization of people, not just a brand and not just a company,” Magee said. “It’s easy to think of an organization as something impersonal, and to counteract that, you need to underline the human aspect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“For any organization, whether it’s for-profit or nonprofit, the problem comes when something they’ve created feels artificial or contrived. AI can be another instantiation of that disconnect.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even when the uncanny valley effect is not at play, consumers can still feel that marketers have taken a “shortcut” by using AI, Choi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“That’s what we call the AI-ad theme match,” he said. “A strong match is when AI is an important part of how the campaign works, like if the intention is to give each consumer a personal experience that would otherwise be impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In that case, AI is not just a cheaper production tool; it’s an important part of the creative idea.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The extent to which consumers feel negatively about the use of AI may change as the technology becomes more widespread, however, Magee said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Right now, because AI is new, it’s better to err on the side of being careful,” he said. “But norms change. You don’t see as many people thinking about CGI in movies anymore. No one gets upset about it like they used to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Over time, the norms will probably change, and we’ll accept AI just like we accepted CGI, animation, and other new technologies.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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