Under Armour AI debate—director addresses criticisms and AI’s role in advertising

Wes Walker, the commercial director whose recent Under Armour spot, made with the help of artificial intelligence, was met with a flood of criticism in the production community, is defending the piece and calling on the industry to confront the difficult questions AI raises, rather than hoping they will go away. Sign up for Ad Age newsletters From influencer marketing to agencies, get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox Click here Walker, who is repped by Tool of North America, came under intense criticism—particularly in the comments of an Instagram post where the ad was featured—from many who felt the spot, released March 5, was a step in the wrong direction for the industry. Here is the spot in question: The ad combined footage from previous UA spots with AI and 3D CG imagery to create new visuals of boxer Anthony Joshua without shooting new footage. It also used AI to create a voiceover built off existing recordings of Joshua’s voice. Critics said this approach could hasten the rise of AI filmmaking at the expense of human creators. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BWGTBLD (@bwgtbld) Walker, who defended his work in the Instagram comments, shared a statement with Ad Age (posted in full toward the end of this story), offering his thoughts on the spot and on AI’s future in commercial production. In an interview early Friday, separate from his statement, Walker told Ad Age he was surprised by the “mob mentality” of those who accused him of being soulless—or worse—for making the UA spot. He also said he’d been using the past few weeks to talk with people in AI about how to think about the future of the technology. “It’s been heavy,” he said of the reaction to the spot. “One question I keep coming back to is, how do we collectively learn and grow from this? I think a lot of what’s at play right now is just a lot of fear. And it’s understandable. To me, the response to that is, well, let’s educate ourselves.” See all of Ad Age’s 2024 Agency A-List winners here Education and communication will be key in working with AI moving forward, he said—trying to collectively understand what AI is (and isn’t), what it’s capable of (now and in the future), how to center humans inside the AI experience, and how to use AI as a tool to enhance human storytelling, not replace it. Any perspective about AI that’s centered on cost-cutting, or replacing human creativity, he added, is “a huge no.” “It’s not a standalone solution,” he said. “But you’re going to see its ability increase tremendously within the next year or two. What does that mean for us from where we stand now, looking at that horizon?” Also read: AI marketing mistakes and how brands can avoid them Walker also said what’s been a bit lost in the debate is the upside of getting to experiment and innovate with fascinating new technology. “A lot of people are excited by it,” he said. “That was part of the feeling I had with this whole backlash, just a general sense of the hypocrisy of it. I mean, tell me a director who hasn’t typed stuff into Midjourney and put it in their treatments at this point. It’s like, guys, we’re all experimenting. We’re all trying to find ways to incorporate this and create value for our creative process, as well as for our clients.” Tool released a statement (also posted below) expressing pride for Walker, while also attempting to clear up “misconceptions” about how the spot was made. Tool also created a new microsite and behind-the-scenes video (below) to “demystify” the creative process behind the spot. The statements also address the crediting issues that were another point of concern around the UA ad. (Two directors, Gustav Johansson and Maik Schuster, were not initially listed in the spot’s credits, even though footage they shot for previous UA ads was repurposed for the new one. The credits were later added.) Both full statements are below. Statement from Wes Walker: Hello everyone, I’m grateful for the discussion the commercial “Forever Is Made Now” has sparked. I’ve spent the week having important conversations and listening to feedback from those in the creative and tech communities from all over the world. I love cinema, and I chose this craft not for its ease but for the journey it represents in exploring new creative territories—all in service of human storytelling. It’s not just about innovation but about discovering what it means to be a human being in an era of unprecedented technological advancement, despite growing inequalities. I want to address some critical points directly. First, in a culture of fear, we have an opportunity to choose a stronger, more positive energy that creates value through critical thinking around our collective future. Second, misconceptions abound about what AI can and can’t do, why we use it, and what its trajectory plus potentials are. We counter this by educating ourselves and our audiences about our process, tools, and how we center people; our crews we love. Third, attribution, protections, and creative rights are paramount. Let’s come together in solidarity and rise to the challenge of the critical discussions ahead. Fourth, AI is a tool, and new workflows arise, mixing formats in seamless ways. Let’s do this responsibly. Fifth, we’re moving from industry gatekeeping to democratized filmmaking. Sixth, people come first. We’re in the future. AI must serve humanity, not the other way around. For this project, my team and I came together to experiment by fusing traditional media with various AI tools to build a novel commercial for Under Armour and Anthony Joshua. The commercial’s fundamental ethos was inspired by Shelley’s sobering sonnet “Ozymandias” from 1818. It reminds us of change, impermanence, and the fallibility of the statues we build up of ourselves (both real and imagined) in pursuit of greatness. In profoundly telling ways, this foreshadowed a collective response that strikes at the heart of the tension in our industry right now and has cascaded to reflect the complexities facing us. Our commercial combined officially owned and licensed Under Armour footage with AI and 3D CG imagery. Directors Gustav Johansson and Maik Schuster, who previously worked on other Anthony Joshua Under Armour campaigns, and whose footage for those projects is owned by Under Armour, were not credited on the initial release of this video on social media. They are currently credited. I acknowledge that making attributions strengthens the positions of all of us. Previously licensed and shot footage has been edited into new versions of commercial content for years. Yet, I firmly believe that all creative individuals should be fully represented and credited for their work in our industry. As commercial directors, the question of identity and the extent to which we creatives intertwine our sense of self with our work in a corporate profit-oriented system is profound. It reflects a broader discussion about the value of creative work, our rights with respect to that commercial work, extending even to the definition of art. I do not shy away from these challenges. We must actively invite them. As an artist and director passionate about cinema’s past, present, and future, I also believe we must recognize the realities and changing media landscape around us. AI is not going to disappear if we stick our heads in the sand. This is about integrating AI as a tool to enhance our storytelling capabilities, making visual media more accessible, and pushing creative boundaries. “Forever Is Made Now” was a step in that direction—showing a way that AI can complement human creativity, not replace it. We, as an industry, must engage these open questions of technology forcefully, working together to establish clear solutions, as well as protections, before the answers are superimposed upon us. Engaging these challenges together, there will be important conversations harmonizing the principles, values, and ethics around the creative and business aspects of advertising and AI. I look forward to being a conscious voice and an active participant in this conversation alongside industry leaders as we join in figuring out the best path forward. I appreciate your attention and support. Wes Statement from Tool of North America: The latest AI infused spot we created with Under Armour caused quite the stir. Lots of differing points of view and healthy debates about the role of tech and attribution in our industry. Equally as many misconceptions about how the spot was created. We are really proud of what Wes Walker, our team and our ambitious clients at UA were able to create. 21 dedicated individuals invested countless hours in conceptualizing, storyboarding, 3D modeling, editing, composing music and producing AI and CG visuals for this project. To demystify it, we’ve put together a making-of. We are champions of our directors and believe that live-action production is integral to the future of brand storytelling. At the same time, the industry is changing, and as this happens, we are at the forefront of providing our directors, brands and agencies with as many creative solutions as possible. We’ve been helping clients leverage AI in campaigns since 2016, and look forward to seeing the amazing content that brands, agencies and production companies will produce in the future—with and without AI.

Under Armour AI debate—director addresses criticisms and AI’s role in advertising

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