How AI unlocked the impossible for Original Source

Our Executive Creative Director, Dave Billing, and Original Source client Alex Glen recently spoke about our ‘Nature Hits Different’ campaign at MAD//FEST. During their talk, they shared how the brand, known for its intense and energising products, leveraged AI to create a groundbreaking TV commercial. 

For those that couldn’t be there in person, here are our key learnings for those considering using AI in their production.


Start with Strong Strategic Foundations

Like with any project, a clear and well-defined strategy is crucial before even starting to think about the production process. 

For Original Source, consumer research told us how our audience is low on mental and physical energy. We could see in Google Search data that searches for ‘tired’ and ‘exhausted’ have doubled in the last two decades, and a weekly measure of energy levels amongst our target audience revealed that only 14%  feel energetic. There was a clear opportunity for Original Source - a product known for its energy, and with 100% natural fragrance to bring people nature's raw energy - to be the brand that delivers a ‘hit of energy from nature.’ 

There was a lot of quality input thinking before we started thinking about AI as a tool for the output. 


Gen AI Needs to Be Right for the Idea

We didn’t start knowing we would use AI. 

AI should be explored as a production technique once you have the idea,  in the same way you would explore other techniques -  if it aligns with the creative vision and can deliver the desired outcomes. If it’s the best fit, then great. It is not a one-size-fits-all solution. 

For Original Source, we wanted to showcase the energising feeling the product gives you, in an exaggerated way, whilst also broadening the impact by extending from the shower to the rest of your day. 

The campaign concept was a fantastical journey to work, where the user experiences a series of intense and energising worlds reflecting the different scents of the product. AI was chosen for its ability to create surreal scenes with seamless transitions and was particularly good at the right kind of energy that fit with our fantastical concept. 


Understand the Strengths and Limitations of the Tool

AI is excellent for generating vibrant and dynamic visuals, however where it falls short is replicating human emotion and performance.

For Original Source, we knew we needed a real human to connect with the audience, hence opting for a Hybrid approach where we blended gen AI with live action. On set, we also captured lots of face/head shots so that we would have lots of reference for the AI bit, to ensure we kept the actor looking consistent. In this way, the live action element gave us some control back vs the Gen AI part which came with a lot of unknowns. 


Create a System That Allows Collaboration and Integrated Feedback

Establish a robust system for collaboration and feedback to ensure that all stakeholders are aligned and that the final product meets the brand's standards.

With Original Source, we spent weeks coming up with the style frames of how we wanted our world to look. Our production partners then created a storyboard with the style frames - much like a traditional production process, that were taken all the way to the final edit. 


Allow Plenty of Time for Trial and Error

Be prepared for the non-iterative nature of AI content creation. 

In post production on Original Source, we added our plucky hero into the styleframes asking AI to stitch them together. The process involved a lot of trial and error, particularly the AI transitions which are very different from human transitions. 

The outputs are often unpredictable and you cannot retain elements from one to the next. You have to re-prompt each time, so there is a real challenge maintaining specific elements across multiple generations of the same scenes. 


Balance Machine with Human Creativity

AI can provide raw material, but it takes a talented team to craft it into a compelling narrative. We need to ensure a  balance is kept between machine efficiency and human creativity. 

There was a butt load (technical term) of clean-up to do with Original Source - mostly where the generation had gone a little wonky connecting the generative footage back up to the live action shots. So, like any post-heavy job, there was a lot of fiddling and pixel fudging. We ended up Photoshopping or massaging outputs to hit the exact look we needed. It took real people to mold it into something compelling, and then finish it up with a grade and sound mix.


Conclusion

The integration of AI in Original Source's TV commercial campaign was a bold and innovative move that repositioned the brand as a leader in the personal care category. By starting with strong strategic foundations, understanding the strengths and limitations of AI, and balancing machine efficiency with human creativity, the campaign successfully communicated the brand's intense and energising experience, setting the stage for the brand's growth goals. Following the campaign the brand saw its highest penetration in 4 years, and +4.5 value sales growth.