CraftedIntent

In a plot twist worthy of 2025, major brands are ditching AI and leaning into the "keep it real" movement.

Heineken, Aerie, Polaroid, and even Cadbury are riding the anti-AI wave, mocking Big Tech and positioning human-made creativity as the ultimate authenticity flex. Polaroid's posters around NYC threw shade at Apple and Google ("AI can't generate sand between your toes"), while Aerie's promise to use only real people in ads became its most-liked Instagram post of the year.

But this isn't just brand theater, it's consumer psychology. Half of Americans now say they're more concerned than excited about AI's growing presence, according to Pew. Ads made with AI tools like Sora and Midjourney just lack a certain soul-like quality to them.

For now, the analog aesthetic is still winning over the masses. As Polaroid's creative director put it, "There's always something in our nature ... that layer of imperfection that makes us human and beautifully imperfect."

📸: Polaroid

North Carolina artist creates ‘Bluebirds of Hope’ from glass shattered by Helene An artist in western North Carolina is creating beauty from the devastation of Helene, as her community continues to recover one year after the historic storm.