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Life on this desolate, wind-swept planet comes in two forms: giant eyeballs that seem more endearing than eerie, and impossibly stylish people with varying degrees of astigmatism.
If that sounds like the setup for a fashion-forward sci-fi flick, it’s no accident. Independent agency Design Army has created a retro-futuristic world straight out of a classic 1950s B-movie for a new campaign for retailer Georgetown Optician.
To develop the digital and print assets, Design Army turned to artificial intelligence to meet a tight one-month deadline and coincide with a new store opening for the brick-and-mortar brand. “Adventures in A-Eye,” a pun-filled trip to a fictional no man’s land, marks the agency’s first test of AI technology.
“We took a risk in partnering with a non-human,” Pum Lefebure, chief creative officer and co-founder, told Adweek. “And while it doesn’t take much time for AI to spit out an image, it takes time to do it right and nail the execution.”
The human touch
Some of the common criticisms of AI are true, Lefebure said, and it can feel “soulless and stiff” on its own. It requires “the human touch,” she said, such as photo manipulation, animation, sound design and typography.
AI took the lead on talent selection, wardrobe and location, for instance, while other key elements came from the creative team, which also added the brand’s eyeglasses in post-production.
While she loves the speed, “I hate AI’s stubbornness,” Lefebure said. “We experimented endlessly until it learned the art direction we liked.”
Since it’s often perceived as a threat, AI regularly finds itself in the crosshairs of creative debate, which Lefebure finds short-sighted, even after shooting real-life campaigns for 15 years.
“Haters say you’re not creating anything—you’re just punching in words, that there’s no creativity,” Lefebure said. “I disagree. The secret to AI success is really understanding how to prompt with a laser-focused vision and approach it as a collaboration versus a one-and-done solution.”
Eyelian invasion
While feeling both “curious and uncomfortable,” the team embraced the challenge, using AI “just like any other design tool,” Lefebure said.
The result is a series of video snippets—along with a 30-second spot and print pieces—that aims to take viewers on a journey to an “unknown planet” where travelers need to wear glasses to protect themselves from the harsh environment.
There are clues right away, though, that this work will be campy, not creepy: the stars of “Adventures in A-Eye” have names like Eyesaiah, Eyeris, Eyeliot and Eyereen. Looming large in the scene, but not menacing anyone is the main character named Eyelian.