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Okay, now that AI is actually raiding our lives… I came across a campaign that made me simply say, “Ah, humans are still actually aware.” Not that I don’t see many people opposing AI in general, but the majority now uses it on daily basis and to me, I see that things are now getting out of hand when it comes to depending on it and not using it as a mere assistant.
Some say OOH campaigns (or Out Of Home, in case you’re not familiar with the abbreviation) are something that is outdated. However, in 2026, I beg to differ. Because many campaigns nowadays are now focusing on what people see outside rather than online or on the screen of their phones. Now that AI is taking part in our lives. One that I might add is big enough; people are seeing the difference it made. Good or bad, they see it. And for that reason it is worth mentioning The Economist’s newest OOH campaign that calls for originality.
A Call for Human Creativity
It is safe to say that we’ve been super creative since the beginning of time. We, humans, are the origin of literally everything we know. We created AI. And maybe that wasn’t the smartest move ever since it’s beginning to look so dystopian. But why? Because dependability became part of us. You want to get things done fast, so you get AI to get it done for you. Yes, you can do that. But no, you don’t want to depend on it to finish everything for you.
AI is the best when used as a mere assistant. If I took a penny everytime I wrote this sentence, I could probably become the world’s second trillionaire after Elon Musk. However, we all perceive words differently so no judgment. But The Economist did judge. They laid out billboards calling for human creativity to come back again as we’re living in an age of monotony. Clever? Yes. Needed? Oh definitely.
Think Outside The Bot
From Box to Bot. A single letter that makes all the difference in context. The call here is to stop using AI to think. Do the thinking by yourself and this is when you’ll find that your life stopped being so grey. AI is all fun and games, but your brain can come up with something more original than some information that has been called “input” or “data” that is fed to the bot.
No amount of artificial intelligence would be able to come up with a tagline that makes people laugh out loud as they read it, as it was once said in a black and white movie and is now used in a marketing context for example. The biggest campaigns that are thriving are doing so because of the originality.
Like for example, Tarek Nour’s latest Orange Egypt campaign that was directed to all skeptics of any world cup win from Egypt. Would AI know that we Egyptians didn’t believe enough? I don’t think so. Yet the mareketers used their brains and created a campaign that Egyptians resonated with brilliantly.
Authentic Intelligence: Because Artificial is Growing Old
Yes, your own creativity and intelligence are now the elements that add value to you as an asset. People may think that AI could replace human beings but the truth is that we’re a race that is way more needed than we can imagine. An AI tool would never tell you to think outside the “bot” … it would just generate something that it has generated a lot before. Making you and others sound the same without the flair of a character. Originality is now rare and that is why you should start being as authentic as it gets to stand out in a market dominated by AI, and it’s prime time.
The End Game
The moral of the story is to start thinking for yourself. Don’t let AI win over and make you lazy to even think. Because thinking is the end game here. If you think that’s it. You’ll have enough ideas to fuel the whole world with and not just your marketing business. Think outside the bot, let authenticity take over, and don’t let peers control your vision and goal. Do it yourself.
