The challenge: Using publicly available AI tools, could we build a brand from the ground up?
Could we take a basic concept and build the name, messaging, product, etc., all in less than 60 minutes using AI? (Minus filing all the required legal business documents.)
We wanted to see how far AI could get us as of February 2023.
In less than one hour, this is everything we wanted to create:
– Brand name
– Positioning statement
– A killer logo
– Product line
– Website concept
– Product page layout
– Basic Facebook ad
The vision: A 90s-inspired clothing brand.
So with the rules in place for developing this faux brand using AI tools, it was time to start creating.
1. Brand Name (60 Mins. Starts)
To crank out some ideas quickly, we jumped over to ChatGPT and kept the request simple,
“Give me brand name ideas for a 90s-inspired fashion brand,” and then we waited for inspiration. We got a list of about 15 right away and gravitated toward “Throwback Threads.”
We decided to take this a step further to see if the brand name URL was actually available on GoDaddy. To our surprise, it was!
That said, someone had obviously bought and parked the URL (it is a great name), and the cost was sky-high if we wanted to buy it. But hey, the option was there if we were really serious.
2. Positioning Statement (58 Mins. Remaining)
With the name Throwback Threads locked down, we wanted to get a taste and feel for this brand in the marketplace. So, after another couple of minutes on ChatGPT, we had something we could use as a baseline for this project:
“Throwback Threads takes it back to the OG 90s style with threads that are straight fire. We’re all about bringing back those dope trends and making them fresh again. From grunge to hip-hop, we’ve got the hook-up on all the flyest looks. So, if you want to slay in some serious throwback style, get with Throwback Threads and get lit!”
We did some tweaking to give the tone more of a 90s flair by asking for the inclusion of 90s slang. Was it a bit “too much?” Yes. Did it make us laugh? Booyah!
3. Logo (54 Mins. Remaining)
AI image generators don’t currently understand the written word, in terms of graphically putting it on a logo, so image creators like DALL-E and Midjourney were off the table.
So we turned to an AI logo generator called Brandmark. We plugged in the “Throwback Threads” brand name, and some descriptive keywords, and about five minutes later, we had a funky logo with an aesthetic we could work with.
4. Product Line (48 Mins. Remaining)
Now the hard work really began. We needed a concept for a line of clothing that was inspired by 90s fashion, movies, and pop culture.
The best tool for amazing image concepts is Midjourney.
After about 15 minutes of using keyword requests for 90s clothing, color schemes, lighting preferences, etc., we landed on some ideas that were both out of the box and also kind of nostalgic.
Would these fly off the shelves? We have no idea, but they were eye-catching for sure, and we were ready to roll with them.
5. Website Concept (30 Mins. Remaining)
Midjourney also has a grasp of different use cases when it comes to creating images.
We have used it to create everything from landing page concepts to step-by-step infographic ideas, so we thought maybe it could knock out a website concept for us.
This proved easier said than done.
AI image creators can have trouble choosing what visual part to focus on. Use too many words talking about clothes instead of a website and you may get nothing you can actually use. But after changing around descriptions and the placement of words, we had a bold concept we were okay with.
6. Product Page Layout (20 Mins. Remaining)
The clock was ticking! Using virtually identical prompts in Midjourney, we swapped out “homepage” for “product page,” removed almost all the clothing details, and opted to just use “90s fashion product page” as the core description.
And we were pleasantly surprised.
Sometimes the fewer constraints you put on your AI image generators, the better the results.
7. Basic Facebook Ad (12 Mins. Remaining!)
For the ad creation, we cheated, sort of. Rather than find another AI tool, we took the colors, images, logo, etc., we had already created and jumped over to trusty ol’ Canva.
We searched and found a base Facebook ad layout and started dropping in all of our assets.
After a few minutes of shifting, swapping images, adding photo frames and editing the logo layout, we had done it.
Time check! We had 6 minutes to spare!
In less than one hour, we took a nugget of an idea and blew it out into a full-fledged concept for launching a new brand. Our hands were sweating and we were running on creative fumes, but we did it.
Reality check!
We know that most of these ideas would require a fair amount of cleaning and editing to make them ready for prime time. In the real world, we couldn’t take everything AI created at face value and run with it.
That said, if we were really in this situation, we would have ideas we could make better. The process could be done. As we like to say, “We had created something we could fix.”
Because often just getting the ball rolling with creative ideas is the hardest part of any project.
A Future with AI
Our team knows that AI is a groundbreaking and industry-changing advancement that is going to completely alter how we move forward in marketing.
We also know that testing what AI can do and experimenting with it (not only for us, but also for our clients) is critical to stay ahead of the game—and the competition.
While we are actively testing AI—we are not 100% relying on it. We are already uncovering where AI can support our efforts and where it falls a bit short. Knowing this will only help us develop the most strategic marketing opportunities possible as we move into 2023.
If you want to know more or want us to check out your marketing strategies, you can visit our contact us page or email us directly at Marketing@NationalPositions.com, and we will set you up with your preferred channel expert.
At least for the time being you know that our team of actual human minds will be taking care of your campaign strategy, but 2023 is just getting started!