HIGHLIGHTS: June 2023
Most interesting examples:
Virgin Voyages JenAI - The cruise line has deployed a fun campaign that uses AI to allow users to personalize pitches for friends. The video promo oversells the depth of AI use a bit - the only obvious use of AI in the user flow is that JLO says the name of the person sending the message. Otherwise it seems to be an assembly of pre-recorded clips that get stitched together based on user choice. Still a fun example.
Circle K tests new rewarded AR format from Niantic - the convenience store brand was the first to test the new ad format in Pokemon Go. The campaign saw an average engagement rate of 76% and an average completion rate of 95% for the experience. It's still very early days for AR/immersive ad formats, but these initial results show promise.
Radio station gets part-time AI DJ based on its midday host - a Portland, OR radio station revealed that one of their DJs had cloned her voice using AI. The station was quick to point out that the host is not being fully replaced by the AI, but rather splitting on-air duties, allowing the real world host to be more actively engaging the local community.
Most Interesting Data:
Nokia/EY study on metaverse use for the enterprise - 80% of metaverse early adopters predict "significant" or "transformative" impact
The Girl Scouts use AI to drive 40% reduction in CPA - In just under a week, AI made thousands of adjustments to the search campaign, constantly tweaking it to make it more efficient. That’s compared to the hundreds of adjustments made during a year’s worth of manual search optimization strategies.
Most interesting platform news:
Publishers Have One Year To Test And Raise Red Flags On Google’s Privacy Sandbox - After delaying cookie deprecation twice, Google reaffirmed it’s 2024 commitment at an AdMonsters in NYC.
Apple announces Vision Pro headset and visionOS - arguably the biggest platform news in the last year or more, Apple finally revealed it's long-rumored "spatial computing" headset on June 5th. We didn't cover the release specifically but are working on a wrap up and POV to come shortly. Most reviewers are praising it as one of the best headsets they've ever tried, but some skepticism remains around use cases, target audience and more. Some have suggested that this is extended reality's "iPhone moment," but it feels more to us like a Newton moment. Newton, of course, was an early Apple device that is largely viewed as a failure but many believe (one example here) built foundations and lessons that ultimately led to the iPhone. Similar to Newton, the first version of Vision Pro is packed with breakthrough tech, but seems likely to reach a small and focused early adopter audience. The core tech will evolve over time, of course - and ultimately manifest in a product that reaches a much wider audience.
