- Skechers recently came under fire for allegations of AI use in the December issue of Vogue, sparking larger discussions about consumers’ responses to said moves.
Skechers is treading on thin ice with some would-be customers after taking out a full-page ad in Vogue that many found quite fishy. The advertisement in question appears in the December issue of the magazine, notably curated for the first time by a guest editor, Marc Jacobs.
Allegations of the footwear company’s usage of AI began to swirl after creator @polishlaurapalmer posted a TikTok noting the oddities of the advertisement. Skechers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Featuring an illustration of two women walking down a city street carrying shopping bags and (funnily enough) wearing high heels, the image began to break down after further inspection by readers. One critique was that the Skechers sneaker being advertised was not as integrated into the ad, as the cartoon models wore heels while a photo of the sneaker in question seemed added in a corner.
“I look at the drawing for two more seconds and I’m like oh that’s AI,” @polishlaurapalmer said, admitting she previously felt that the advertisement was “kind of cool.”
In the video, she points to some potential warning signs of AI: indiscernible figures and faceless people in the background, garbled text on the store awning, and a chunk of the dress missing from one of the women. Ashwinn Krishnaswamy, partner at design agency Forge Design and TikToker known as @shwinnabego suggested the faces looked melting and demonic, calling the product “AI slop.”
The realization made the @polishlaurapalmer turn on the ad and Skechers itself. Calling the image “alarmingly ugly,” she issued a warning for companies looking to hastily integrate AI.
“I wish people who use AI for art understand that now I hate this. You actually didn’t save any money because now I hate you, now I don’t ever want to buy a Skechers shoe again,” she said.
She’s not the only one who appeared to find the advertisement grating. Commenters on the viral TikTok seemed shocked that the alleged AI image was published in a magazine as notable as Vogue. The conversation didn't stick to just TikTok either. Social media users across the internet noticed and commented on the ad, with a Twitter user warning in response, "We are so cooked.”
AI pushback
No one likes to feel tricked, especially when they have their wallet in hand. And the corporate world’s, at times, hasty implementation of AI has created a scavenger hunt for customers looking to find out what advertisements feel especially trite or robotic. These ads also generate controversy given their impact on real artists— representing a threat to their job security and simply creativity in general when AI is used to save a buck.
Most recently Coca-Cola came under fire for its usage of AI which some commentators called “soulless,” per NBC News. In response, the creator of TV show Gravity Falls, Alex Hirsch, wrote the following, “FUN FACT: CocaCola is ‘red’ because it’s made from the blood of out-of-work artists!”
“We are always exploring new ways to connect with fans and experiment with different approaches,” Coca-Cola said in a statement to Fortune. “This year, we crafted films through a collaboration of human storytellers and the power of generative AI.”
But Ashley Rutstein, freelance creative director and creator of @stuffaboutadvertising, warned that sloppy AI raises red flags for customers and, “when they see that you’re cutting corners, they’re gonna dislike you.”
Calling the move not even half-assing but “quarter-assing,” she said badly implemented AI will get people thinking about a company, but not in a positive manner.
@stuffaboutadvertising This week’s advertising news roundup features: 🐶 A giant @IAMS™ Dog & Cat Food balloon stuck in Chicago 💩 @dudewipes at the No. 2 Thanksgiving Day parade 🚗 An odd collab between Lamborghini and Balenciaga 👟 Skechers advertising in Vogue with a poorly executed AI ad, original video by @polishlaurapalmer 🧑🍳 A fun Black Friday OOH campaign for @Kitchen Warehouse 🎁 The start of my Naughty & Nice series @Stuff About Advertising #advertisingtiktok #advertising #marketing #marketingtok #adcampaigns #adcampaign ♬ original sound - Stuff About Advertising
“AI ads make me think the brand is cheap and that’s never a good thing,” a commenter said on the original TikTok about Skechers.
Despite implementing AI in their everyday lives by turning to ChatGPT, Gen Z has mixed feelings about the future of said tool. Most (59%) of Gen Zers reportedly believe AI will have more of a negative than positive impact on society in the coming decade, according to a survey of more than 10,000 high school and college-aged students conducted by academic honors group the National Society of High School Scholars. Over half (55%) believe it will impact their privacy and 62% are concerned AI will take away the jobs they want to pursue.
It’s possible these feelings toward AI further fuel the negative reaction to companies using it in their art. “I am just begging brands to use better judgment when it comes to incorporating AI into their workflows,” Rutstein concluded. [“A]nd for the love of god please review the AI's output before sending it off to print.”
