Rather than simply using the technology as a means of production, the Sprite campaign intentionally centers it, according to Media Two chief executive Seth Hargrave. In doing so, parent company BuzzFeed Inc. underscores its reputation for innovation—a fixture of its brand identity—as it seeks to reestablish its footing amid a rapidly shifting media landscape.
“By using AI as the creative rather than a tool, Sprite and Complex set themselves up as disruptor brands, in the same way, hip-hop was a kind of challenger brand when it first arrived,” Hargrave said.
An inquisitive chatbot with guardrails
The initial brief from Sprite sought a way to connect with younger hip-hop fans whose attention can be hard to capture, which prompted Complex Media to suggest an AI product, said Guendjoian.
The chatbot, which the publisher designed using AI infrastructure it had developed for prior projects, asks the user questions. By creating an inquisitive bot, the publisher aims to eliminate any barriers to entry, as the challenge of suggesting creative prompts can discourage some people.
The chatbot then analyzes the sentiment and tone, while also applying the moderation API designed by OpenAI to flag violent or sexual responses, according to Bill Shouldis, who leads BuzzFeed Inc.’s revenue innovation for tech products.
Using generative AI, the chatbot creates a custom album artwork, drawing visuals from an exclusive cache of designs provided to Complex Media by the artist OseanWorld. Critically, this sidesteps any copyright or IP concerns.
To widen the project’s reach, Complex Media is promoting the landing page on its website and boosting it on social media and through paid and organic channels. The publisher declined to share how long the activation will be live or provide projections for its estimated reach.