Not a day goes by without seeing images generated by Artificial Intelligence in my feed, or briefs asking for 'lots' of AI-generated images. While this may be understandable for bars or small brands without a budget, it becomes catastrophic when large brands get involved with rather disastrous results, and losses that will be measured in the long term. The latest example: a major luxury Scottish Whisky brand with very low-end visuals and a tarnished brand image!
Just as you don't blindly trust (or at least you shouldn't) what ChatGPT says, you should do the same for visuals created by AI. Moreover, for a spirits industry that aims to be human, aren't we a bit off track?
AI Without Emotion in Brand Visuals
The arrival and democratization of generative AI tools (images, text, videos) have opened up new possibilities for brands: speed, volume, visual variety. In marketing departments and creative studios, there's a movement towards "we can do everything with AI": product variations, visual variations, multichannel adaptation, style A/B testing, etc. Thus, AI is perceived as a tool for "scaling" creation, capable of rapidly generating varied visuals without systematically resorting to a long photo shoot or illustration. We ourselves, at ForGeorges, do use AI to create mockups and shooting intentions, but that's where it stops.
Risks and Criticisms
Thus, we are seeing more and more creatives, researchers, and artists becoming aware of the use of AI in brand visuals. Let's explore the issue:
- Standardization and loss of authenticity
"Critics worry that generative AI diminishes the value of human creativity … it could also lead to a homogenization of aesthetics, making everything look uniform and uninspired."
In other words: if everyone uses the same prompt-models or style banks, brand visuals risk looking alike, weakening brand differentiation. And if brand authenticity and risk-taking in 2025 is already low, if they also end up all looking the same, why would a customer choose your brand?
- 2. Devaluation of human creative work
With AI art, there is no feeling to communicate, no creative process, and therefore no value imbued in the ‘content.’ Another warning: We are at the critical point at which illustrators and designers must value human interaction and reject the output of AI image generators. This criticism focuses on the fact that the creative phase – reflection, sketching, manual adjustments – risks being short-circuited, and that human creative capital (experience, nuance, intuition) is endangered. When this phase is skipped, it is often the beginning of the end for a brand.
- 3. Legal issues, copyright, training data
When brands use AI-generated images, several legal risks arise: copyright of the original images, of course, but also illustrator contracts, or transparency with the public. For a brand, this means that if the AI generates a visual too close to a protected work, or if the training used unauthorized data, it can lead to litigation. So, to save on a photo or video shoot, do you really want to risk a long and tedious court case?
- 4. The risk of “cheap” content, “AI slop”
A critical expression is emerging: “AI slop,” to designate content generated quickly, carelessly, at high speed, but with low quality.
In a brand context, this can harm its image: poorly framed visuals, questionable composition, unclear message… The gain in speed should not come at the expense of impact. As proof: this AI-generated advertisement where the Coca-Cola logo appears misspelled.
Impacts on Brand Strategy
- Consistency and Visual Identity
The visual identity of a brand relies on consistency between brand strategy, visuals, tone, and over time. As a study reminds us: a study:
"Art directors define visual brand identity as the holistic look and feel of a brand … ongoing over time."
If AI produces visuals without rigorous supervision, the brand will lose this consistency.
- 2. Positioning and Differentiation
For brands like yours, authenticity, craftsmanship, and visual universe are essential drivers. If human creation is too "visibly" replaced by AI, there's a risk of shifting towards overly "technological," generic communication, or even one disconnected from historical/terroir/craftsmanship values. And if there's one person you can't fool, it's the consumer.
- 3. Transparency and External Perception
Consumers, increasingly aware, may perceive a brand "generating everything with AI" negatively. An illustrator quoted in The Guardian says:
There’s no question that AI-generated art devalues illustration.
If the brand claims "authentic, handmade, artisanal," an AI-generated visual can create a real disconnect.
The spirits industry is not like any other.
The use of AI to help create and generate brand visuals can be extremely powerful: time saving, large-scale variations, visual exploration. However, for brands like yours, where identity, authenticity, and artistic direction are fundamental, it is crucial to maintain human creative control, ensure brand consistency, respect rights and ethics, and avoid drifting towards generic or dehumanized visuals.
In other words: AI should not be the essence of your brand’s visual creation, but a tool at the service of the artistic director’s vision, the brand’s storytelling, and the emotion you wish to convey. So if you claim to be an authentic brand, create authentic things, not cheap artificial intelligence creations!
