TENNESSEE, USA — Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the hot topic of the moment with everyone talking about it and its capability. Thanks to the next-generation Chatbot GPT and DALL-E platforms, industry leaders, tech leaders, celebrities, and news channels worldwide are discussing how AI can replace human creativity. This moment has even been compared to the “invention of the Guttenberg press” or “invention of photography” by many thought leaders.
After the initial awe about what these tools can do subsided, collective angst developed. People feel threatened that AI is becoming so good, it could impact everything in life as we know it, including jobs in the creative industry.
American burger chain Hardee’s decided to put AI to the test with unAImaginable, an experiment to see just how good it really is, to see if it was the genius it’s purported to be – and whether there’s any way to alleviate everyone’s anxiety about it.
Along with the creative agency ‿ and us, Hardee’s prompted AI’s image-making tool DALL-E, to “imagine Hardee’s SUPER STAR burger,” What came back was an array of weird, wacky, surreal, completely wild creations – unique, near misses, beautiful images, but crucially – not one was a 100% correct image of a SUPER STAR burger. Hardee’s pushed it more with other prompts, including the full recipe. However, the platform still couldn’t nail a SUPER STAR burger down, in over 10,000 attempts.
What then resulted was a campaign across Hardee’s social channels posting the platform’s wild creations, along with a film hoping to put its customers’ minds at rest. AI isn’t perfect, it cannot replace us, and it cannot replace the enjoyment of a good burger.
Hussein Kandil, Hardee’s Regional Marketing Director MENA said, “The campaign rides on the hot topic of the hour, for people in the region and around the world. This is a message everyone needs to hear right now – that it’s OK, take a breath, ‘AI isn’t coming for you just yet’. And if we can make this much-needed message with the help of a delicious Hardee’s Super Star burger, then all the better.”
Jamie Kennaway – Executive Creative Director, ‿ and us added, “We acted fast to bring a tongue-in-cheek message of hope in the moment people needed it the most, heading into a new year, with the specter of AI hanging over us all. It was the perfect time to show not what it can do, but what it can’t. Each image AI generated therefore became an eye-catching reminder (and proof) that AI isn’t quite there yet.”
Justin Hunter, Hardee’s Senior Marketing Manager also commented: “The response has been dramatic, and we have clearly struck a chord with people. It’s a brave new world, and while thought leaders are still figuring out the implications of AI, as a brand we’re happy to lead with a message to make everyone feel just a little better. A message to come enjoy a real flame-grilled Super Star, safe in the knowledge AI isn’t going to take over everything. Well just now anyway.”
