AI and human emotion are the building blocks of effective creative advertising

The challenge, though, is figuring out how best to harness these tools — individually or in combination; a question that’s fueled industry-wide debate for months.

When it comes to crafting impactful advertising creative, both AI and emotional creative analysis offer distinct advantages. Together, they can take a brand’s content to new heights.

Together, AI and emotional creative analysis uncover marketing insights

AI excels at processing vast amounts of data and identifying patterns at lightning speed, empowering brands to make informed, data-driven decisions that optimize their creative strategy. Emotional creative analysis, on the other hand — particularly of the consumer — taps into authentic human reactions, providing invaluable insights into how audiences truly feel about different creative elements.

Take, for example, last year’s viral “Assume That I Can” ad for World Down Syndrome Day. Incredibly unique in tone and approach, it challenged societal perceptions and championed inclusion, evoking a sense of joy and empowerment from viewers. While AI might help a brand identify trends and audience preferences, emotional analysis of the end-consumer captures those subtle, nuanced feelings that resonate on a deeper, more meaningful human level — ensuring content doesn’t just grab attention, it also connects emotionally with the audience. 

That said, the real magic happens when marketers combine the two. AI is skilled at crunching numbers, spotting trends and predicting outcomes based on past data, but it’s the human insight provided by emotional analysis that adds layers and depth. It’s not just about knowing what works, but why it works. For instance, AI might flag that ads featuring pets or humor perform well, but emotional analysis helps dig into why these elements evoke such strong reactions. That extra context can transform an entire campaign strategy, making it more nuanced and, ultimately, more effective at engaging viewers.

Striking a balance between AI and human analysis for campaigns that resonate

Of course, there are risks to over-relying on either tool. Leaning too heavily on AI without a human touch can lead to cookie-cutter content that feels repetitive or lacks emotion. And because AI works with existing data, it might churn out similar ideas based on past trends, potentially leading to a lack of originality and reinforced biases. Similarly, while human analysis provides rich emotional insights, it also can be time-consuming and prone to biases. Processing large datasets manually can be challenging, and without AI’s ability to quickly analyze and optimize that data, key opportunities for timely adjustments might slip through the cracks.

The key, therefore, is to strike a balance — to take an integrated approach that leverages the strengths of both AI and human analysis. AI should be used to improve efficiencies like gathering and cleaning data — highlighting potential trends and patterns — while human analysis can, and should, provide emotional context and validation, ensuring the creative content resonates on a more personal level. This convergence allows brands to create data-driven advertising campaigns that are also emotionally compelling and authentic, ultimately driving engagement and conversions in a meaningful way.

Sponsored by Nexxen