OpenAI’s new video generation tool, Sora, launched recently, has sparked excitement and interest, particularly in the advertising and creative industries. Sora can create videos ranging from short clips to full-minute videos in high definition, as demonstrated by OpenAI.
This raises questions about how the tool will impact the advertising world. Some believe it has revolutionary potential, while others argue that AI still needs improvement to achieve a truly ‘human’ touch in its projects.
Experts say that since Sora can create videos up to a minute long, it will be widely used for short-form content, especially on social media. They also believe it could reduce overall advertising budgets and the time needed to create campaigns.
Aakash Shah, founder of One Hand Clap, says, “We are going to see a whole new generation of remarkable people making the ad films they have always wanted to make but didn’t have the budgets to. It’s a game-changer. We democratised content distribution because of reels and TikToks. Sora will further democratise the art, direction, and budget constraints.”
Avanthika Ravichandran, associate creative director at Admatazz, believes Sora marks a new era in brand storytelling. She emphasizes that while faster video production and deployment are expected, the most exciting aspect is how it can improve the quality of a brand’s interactions with its audience by making visual narratives more relevant.
Ravichandran also notes that the tool’s efficiency and speed will allow creative teams enough time to test campaign effectiveness by quickly prototyping ideas.
Aakash Chatterjee, co-founder and chief creative officer at 5W1H, says that Sora lets advertisers create very personalized content based on what their audience likes and who they are. This means they can make messages that are more relevant and interesting, leading to more people buying their products and staying loyal to their brand.
Ethical Constraints
As people explore the possibilities with tools like Sora, they should be aware of potential challenges like copyright problems, ethical issues, and privacy concerns. According to Chatterjee, when introducing new tools like Sora or ChatGPT in advertising, marketers face initial technical hurdles that need careful consideration. He stresses the need to prioritize privacy and security while using Sora’s personalized features.
“True customisation and personalisation at scale pose a considerable technical hurdle. While Sora can create personalised video content using text prompts, properly personalising messaging to specific target segments necessitates extensive data analysis and segmentation methodologies. To deliver relevant and interesting content to their target audiences, advertisers must invest in thorough audience insights and segmentation approaches. This may include connecting Sora with existing data management and analytics platforms for greater personalization capabilities,” suggests Chatterjee.
OpenAI has faced copyright lawsuits, and the rise of deepfake videos and misinformation involving famous people has raised concerns about new technologies.
Creativity and Limitations
Creative professionals are excited about Sora’s potential, but there are some challenges. Ravichandran is interested in seeing if Sora can effectively change small details in prompts.
“With any campaign, all assets, especially ones with a visual connotation to them, end up going through multiple iterations and typically need to be okayed by several stakeholders. What remains to be seen is Sora’s ability to change one considerably minute aspect of a prompt, say the colour of the main character’s shoelaces, and recreate everything else just like it did in the earlier version.”
“What could work in our favour is the undying appeal that raw, authentic content enjoys. People will never want to stop seeing real stories or stop appreciating the unpredictability of the journeys that made them happen. Brands are likely going to continue investing in proprietary tech and craftsmanship, to show their audience what sets them apart. Sora’s translation of these, however cinematic and flawlessly executed, may still risk be coming across as synthetic,” she adds.
Devaiah Bopanna, co-founder of Moonshot, thinks AI still has a lot of development needed before it can be widely used in advertising. He believes Sora offers many creative options but points out that AI tools are not yet fully integrated into everyday filmmaking workflows.
“For example, I’m waiting to see if technology can make content from different angles as we usually do. If it can do that, that would truly be disruptive. One potential application for Sora lies in replacing the use of stock footage. Previously, sifting through vast libraries of stock footage was a time-consuming task. Sora has the potential to revolutionise this process by allowing users to customise stock footage based on their specific requirements,” he adds.
Raghav Bagai, co-founder of Sociowash, believes Sociowash can use Sora with traditional advertising methods to improve campaign effectiveness. He wants to combine Sora’s innovative features with proven storytelling techniques.
“Sora is particularly well-suited for advertising content that requires impactful visuals and storytelling such as product launches, brand storytelling, and nostalgia-driven campaigns. However, there may be scenarios where Sora may not be the most optimal choice, such as campaigns where authenticity and real-life interactions are paramount, or one where the use of Sora could raise ethical concerns,” says Bagai.
OpenAI’s Sora, if designed and implemented responsibly, could be a boon for the advertising world. Sora is a deep learning model specifically trained for text-to-speech tasks, which could revolutionize how ads are created and delivered.
Here are some potential benefits:
- Personalized Ads: Sora could generate highly personalized ads by adapting its voice and style to match the preferences of different audiences, making them more engaging and effective.
- Cost-Effective Production: With Sora, advertisers could potentially reduce the time and cost of creating audio ads, as they wouldn’t need to hire voice actors or spend time in recording studios.
- Consistency: Sora could ensure consistency in voice and messaging across different ad campaigns, helping to build a strong brand identity.
- Accessibility: Sora could make ads more accessible to people with visual impairments by providing high-quality audio descriptions of products and services.
However, there are also potential downsides to consider:
- Ethical Concerns: The use of AI-generated voices in ads raises ethical questions, particularly around transparency and the potential for manipulation.
- Job Displacement: If widely adopted, Sora could potentially displace voice actors and other professionals involved in traditional ad production.
- Quality Concerns: While Sora is capable of generating high-quality speech, there may be instances where the generated voice does not sound as natural or convincing as a human voice.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while Sora has the potential to bring significant benefits to the advertising world, its impact will depend on how responsibly it is developed and used. Advertisers and policymakers will need to carefully consider the ethical and practical implications of adopting this technology.
