AI tools are becoming increasingly important, as they are an essential part of creativity. AI has invaded all industries, as there isn’t a single sector that doesn’t use AI in its operations. One of these sectors is marketing. Marketers and brands have depended heavily on AI in every department, whether in content, design, or production, and sometimes replace the human element.
A couple of years ago, people were afraid AI would replace humans, and back then some agreed, and some didn’t; what is happening now in the advertising field is what people predicted. Is AI replacing humans?
AI is now being used to generate visuals to recreate celebrities and produce entire campaigns. However, as more advertisers embrace this technology, an important question emerges: can AI truly replace the emotional connection created by real people?
Egypt’s latest World Cup-themed campaigns by Pepsi and the National Bank of Egypt (NBE) offer two interesting examples. While both campaigns demonstrate impressive technological capabilities, they also highlight the growing concern that, in the pursuit of innovation, brands may be sacrificing the human element that makes advertising memorable.
Pepsi’s AI Experiment: Innovation with a Missing Presence
Pepsi’s campaign successfully captured public attention, but could Amr Diab’s physical presence have elevated the campaign?
While the campaign gained people’s attention and admiration for Salah and Amr Diab, one question remained: why replace the physical appearance of Amr Diab? As one of the region’s most recognizable and beloved artists, his real presence carries an emotional value that technology struggles to replicate.
Just as the voice and visuals are important to the audience, the superstar’s appearance is also important, as it creates a special connection between him and the audience.
There’s no denying that AI successfully created likeness and excitement, but watching the real Amr Diab would likely have elevated the campaign even further.
NBE’s Campaign: A Powerful Song Without Human Faces
The National Bank of Egypt adopted a different approach by relying almost entirely on AI-generated visuals while centering the campaign around a patriotic jingle. The song itself delivers a strong sense of national pride and collective optimism, making it an emotionally promising foundation for a World Cup campaign.
Despite the emotional jingle, the advert lacks one crucial ingredient: people. Football has always been about fans celebrating together, children dreaming of representing their country, and communities sharing unforgettable moments. Without human expressions, celebrations, or personal stories, the campaign feels visually impressive but emotionally distant, reducing the impact of the message the music is trying to deliver.
Every campaign connected with the audience had a human element in. Showing true emotions triggers the audience and builds a connection.
Why the Human Element Still Matters
Advertising has always been built on emotional storytelling. Consumers connect with smiles, eye contact, body language, and authentic reactions because they reflect genuine human experiences.
Even when audiences know an advert is fictional, real people make the story believable. During major sporting events such as the World Cup, emotions become even more important. Victory, hope, and national pride are universal feelings best communicated through human faces and shared experiences.
AI can generate beautiful imagery, but it often struggles to recreate the subtle emotional imperfections that make people relate to a story.
The Risks of Overrelying on Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence should be viewed as a creative assistant rather than a replacement for human creativity and performance. As more brands rely heavily on AI-generated content, advertising risks becoming visually similar, predictable, and emotionally flat. Consumers may initially be impressed by the technology, but repeated exposure can reduce its quality and impact.
Furthermore, replacing actors, performers, and creative professionals with AI raises concerns about the future of employment within the advertising industry. While AI increases efficiency, excessive dependence on it could gradually reduce opportunities for the very people whose creativity has shaped advertising for decades.
Finding the Right Balance Between AI and Human Creativity
The future of advertising does not have to be a choice between artificial intelligence and human talent. Instead, a strong campaign can combine both AI and humans.
AI can accelerate production, enhance visual effects, personalize content, and support creative teams, while real people continue to provide the authenticity, emotion, and cultural relevance that audiences seek.
Rather than being anxious about whether AI can replace humans, advertisers should ask how AI can help humans tell even better stories. Technology should enhance emotional storytelling, not replace it.
The Pepsi and NBE World Cup campaigns demonstrate both the promise and the limitations of artificial intelligence in modern advertising. AI has undoubtedly expanded creative possibilities and introduced exciting new production methods. Yet these campaigns also remind us that technology alone cannot create emotional resonance. As AI continues to reshape the industry, the brands that succeed will be those that embrace innovation without losing sight of the people they are trying to connect with.
