Teriyaki Madness used AI to generate everything but the food in its new ads. | Image courtesy of Teriyaki Madness
All advertising is artificial to some extent. But Teriyaki Madness is taking that to a whole new level.
The 200-unit fast-casual teriyaki chain this week launched a new ad campaign that was created entirely with AI.
The three spots feature various situations in which characters “go mad” for one of the chain’s teriyaki bowls. In one ad, for instance, a man rips off his shirt and screams at a grizzly bear after eating one of the chain’s bowls.
Almost every element of the ads, including the actors, backdrops and voiceovers, was generated by AI. However, the food itself is real, the chain said.
Denver-based Teriyaki Madness worked with Genre.ai, an AI studio, to produce the ads. They will run on connected TV, Meta, YouTube and iHeart Radio from later October through mid-December,
And while the over-the-top ads are clearly designed to grab viewers’ attention, the company also highlighted the practicalities of using AI. It cut production costs to “a fraction” of a traditional shoot, freeing up budget to spend on boosting the campaign. And it gave the chain more creative freedom.
“In this ad, a guy falls out of a skyscraper and another dude in the park takes on a bear after downing a protein-packed bowl,” said CMO Jodi Boyce in a statement. “You can’t pull that off with a normal production budget unless you’re filming a Marvel movie.”
Teriyaki Madness has been growing quickly in recent years, and has a history of embracing new technology. It began offering GPS-enabled curbside pickup in 2017 and was also an early adopter of third-party delivery. It said it’s the first fast-casual chain to launch a fully AI-generated ad campaign.
Other restaurant brands have dabbled in AI advertising. Earlier this year, Popeyes released an AI-generated rap video in response to McDonald’s Snack Wrap relaunch. Steak n Shake has also used AI to create content for its social media channels.
AI-generated advertising raises an interesting proposition for smaller brands with limited marketing budgets. But it could risk rubbing audiences the wrong way. A new study by iHeartMedia found that 75% of consumers don’t want AI used in the media they consume. And research by Nielsen IQ showed that consumers perceive AI-generated ads as more “annoying,” “boring” and “confusing” than traditional advertising.
“As advertisers experiment with generative AI to streamline ad creation and reduce costs, this research provides critical guardrails,” said Marta Cyhan-Bowles, chief communications officer and head of global marketing at Nielsen IQ, in a statement regarding that research. “Our neuroscience-driven approach reveals how consumers nonconsciously process AI-generated content and highlights the fine line between innovation and discomfort.”
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