By now, there’s hardly anyone who hasn’t felt the pressure of AI snapping at their heels, or the looming threat of being replaced.
Quite frankly, Ad Nut finds this pressure overwhelming. Competing against humans for an ever-shrinking pool of jobs was already tough, and now machines are entering the arena.
However, with their latest campaign, ‘AI vs Designer’, Filipino design agency Tuncarp delivers a powerful message: AI is not a threat, but a transformation.
Touted as the Philippines’ first fully AI-generated commercial, the tongue-in-cheek film offers a timely take on the anxiety and opportunity AI brings to the creative industry. Set against a surreal backdrop, it opens with a dramatic showdown between a Filipino designer and a robot, only to flip the narrative into a playful buddy montage, reframing AI not as a rival but as a creative partner. The film challenges the “AI vs. humans” trope, showing how designers can collaborate with AI rather than compete against it.
Remarkably, the film was produced in under a week by just two people using seven fully generative AI tools.
Make no mistake, this isn’t an ad for generative AI. The piece intentionally looks artificial, but that is the point. It’s a cheeky, thought-provoking response to the global wave of AI anxiety in creative work, bringing much-needed levity to a serious topic.
“AI isn’t here to replace us. It speeds up the craft, but people still spark the idea,” says Chris Murphy, managing director at Tuncarp. “Designers who embrace AI early on will be the ones snapped up by big agencies and brands over the next few years. Immerse yourself, and let the good stuff follow. It’s not an exponential threat; it’s exponential opportunity.”
Ad Nut enjoyed the film but remains cautious about taking such optimism at face value. With tech giants like Meta aiming to automate entire ad processes as soon as next year, it seems inevitable that some roles will be replaced by machines. After all, if companies can get the same job done by a machine for a fraction of the cost, they are likely to choose the cheaper option.
Don’t get us wrong, Ad Nut loves a happy ending, and ‘AI vs Designer’ envisions a future where humans and AI coexist harmoniously. Yet the reality might be less rosy when profit maximisation is king. Is that optimistic outlook realistic? Perhaps not. Still, hope springs eternal. Let us root for the ad industry and designers to win their own David vs. Goliath story in real life, just as the film depicts.
 Ad Nut is a surprisingly literate woodland creature that for unknown reasons has an unhealthy obsession with advertising. Ad Nut gathers ads from all over Asia and the world for your viewing pleasure, because Ad Nut loves you. You can also check out Ad Nut's Advertising Hall of Fame, or read about Ad Nut's strange obsession with 'murderous beasts'. |
