The golden age of marketing, those were the kind of days without filters. Where a heartfelt ad could tug at your heartstrings and a catchy jingle from a popular ‘desi’ ad could get stuck in your head for days, feels like a distant memory.
These days, once-great and newbie platforms are drowning in a sea of scam ads, AI-generated gibberish, and spambots on social media. Interactive billboards with dazzling CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) might seem like a breath of fresh air, but are they a genuine evolution, or just another layer of artifice burying authentic connection deeper?
We all clearly remember the initial awe of CGI marketing. Giant smartphones in iconic locations, life-size product replicas suspended in mid-air – it was a visual blowout. Take WhatsApp's 2023 privacy campaign at Mumbai's Gateway of India or Barbie's collection launch on the Burj Khalifa in Dubai – these were eye-catching examples of CGI marketing.
Welcome to the times of ‘enshittification’, where services that brands provide prioritize profits over user experience.
So, where does this CGI ad landfill end? Let's find out.
From Bland to Brand: Charting a Course for Engagement
CGI marketing's destiny should be decided by a correct question only: entertainment or deeper meaning? Will businesses focus on visuals that are vacuous or use this art of marketing to build actual stories? Here's how CGI can be the catalyst for a new era of marketing, one that goes beyond the wow factor:
1. Weaving Stories
Stories are meant to be set free, rather than keeping it. Picture a CGI animation, which is very passionate and heartbreakingly beautiful, developed by your brand. Think about Pixar's level of narrative storytelling, not just a product demo in an imaginative location. Anything that touches human emotions is a story.
2. Breaking Creative Chains
Loosen up your imagination, guys. Fashion imaginary worlds and situations that leave deep marks and are thus, the subject of heated discussions and fanning of novelties. Envision a car model advertisement that leads you to roll around the streets of a very bright, imaginary city, where the car's virtues are both impressive and informative.
3. Building Bridges of Trust
Openness is the new black in sales. Make use of CGI to enlighten the public about your brand's work ethic and environmentally friendly business ethics. Imagine a highly visually attractive animated film incorporating the concept of your company's environmentalism through energy-friendly manufacturing processes that likely build trust and mutual consideration with the eco-friendly consumer.
The Storyteller Holds the Key
At the end of the day, CGI advertising is a pro tool, but like any tool, its impact depends entirely on the user. Just because you have access to cutting-edge technology doesn't mean your marketing will automatically succeed. Used ‘ethically’ and creatively, CGI can usher in a new era of marketing – one that entertains, educates, and fosters genuine connections with consumers. But if it becomes another tool for manipulation and visual bombardment, it risks becoming just another shovel adding to the ever-growing pile of marketing mediocrity.
The Allure and the Trap
CGI's appeal is undeniable. The creative freedom and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional shoots. No expensive permits, elaborate sets, or travel costs – just a digital playground with a prominent location (often for free). But this ease might be CGI's undoing. For marketers, it's the convenient option, but for audiences, it's become predictable and, frankly, boring. Saturation sets in quickly, with repetitiveness.
The Blur Between Marketing and Misinformation
Another concern as mentioned before is the line between marketing and misinformation. The recent ad featuring a CGI statue of the highest-paid Indian influencer as well as the popular cricketer, Virat Kohli in New York's Times Square? Later on, the brand Duroflex clarified on YouTube, and social media exploded, blurring the lines of reality.
Is CGI a Type of Guerrilla Marketing?
That’s an interesting twist by the way.
Although CGI and guerrilla marketing resemble each other but don't necessarily acknowledge a similar style or meaning. Both of them are unconventional in some or the other way, always ready to shock the audience with their strategy of branding their product. But, all in all, CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) itself isn't a type of guerilla marketing. Guerilla marketing takes low-budget tactics to grab attention. While CGI can be a tool used in guerilla marketing campaigns, it's not exclusive to it. Here's a quick breakdown:
- CGI: Creates realistic or interactive 3d visuals using computer software. It can be expensive depending on the complexity and level of effort.
- Guerilla Marketing: Relies on surprise, disruption, and engagement using low-cost marketing tactics. For example, Specsavers, an optical brand, has been the legend of using such marketing techniques.
But if they get together, it is going to revolve around the marketing strategy. CGI as a special effect tool, and guerilla marketing as a strategic approach. A guerilla campaign might use a clever projection (using CGI) onto a building to promote a product, but a high-budget CGI commercial wouldn't necessarily be considered guerilla marketing, again.
Beyond the Click, Towards Connection…
Here's the dare.
Let's employ the power of CGI to curate stories, not sales pitches. Let's focus on building trust and connections with our audience, ushering in an era of marketing that's not just effective, but truly meaningful.
It's not about empty spectacle, it's about forging real connections through captivating narratives and emotional resonance. A world where CGI marketing isn't about bombarding us with forgettable ads, but about promoting genuine interactions. Interactive experiences that allow viewers to participate in the story, personalized messages as per individual preferences, and immersive journeys that bring brands to life in a way that resonates on a deeper level are all must-haves in the CGI marketing of a brand. This is the future we should strive for, a future where CGI marketing doesn't just sell products, it builds relationships.
The choice is ours.
Effective marketing thrives on insights, and social media trends are no exception. It's time for brands to listen. CGI ads have had their run; it's time to move on. The future of marketing lies in storytelling, not tired tricks. Innovation, the lifeblood of any trend, is missing. Hence, ditch the predictable and hug fresh ideas that truly capture the imagination and forge genuine connections with audiences. CGI has the full potential to be the brush that paints a masterpiece of connection, not just another layer on a canvas already drowning in noise.
So…are you ready to take your brand to the next level with the help of CGI marketing?
For more insights, follow Brown Men Marketing on Instagram, Linkedin, and Meta.
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