M ss ng P eces explores AI use through human creativity

As the power and adoption of generative AI grows, the question of best uses in production has gotten trickier. Production company M ss ng P eces has been quick to experiment with the balance of automation and human touch as well as becoming thought leaders in the conversation. See all of Ad Age’s 2025 Agency A-List winners here “We’ve gravitated toward projects where AI augments our capabilities, and experiments that test our imagination and traditional project limits,” the production house wrote in its A-List entry, adding that it upholds a “commitment to storytellers and storytelling that rejects AI as a tool of replacement.” One example is a campaign for consulting giant Accenture, made with agency Droga5, that sought to educate consumers on the emerging dangers of deepfakes. The “First AI-ID Kit” campaign included a resource page for education on deepfakes, or AI-generated video, audio or images that are used to spread false information or conduct scams. Directed by the Zellner Brothers and Mike Woods, M ss ng P eces’ head of immersive and executive creative director, the hero video is an explainer on deepfakes in which a man walks the viewer through how they’re made and their nefarious goals, from financial scams to blackmail to meddling in elections. But the video maintains a sinister tone, and real deepfake AI was layered into the creation of the video, giving the viewer a real-time sense of urgency. In addition to the Accenture work, M ss ng P eces founder Ari Kuschnir has been a central voice in AI, speaking on the art and process of AI filmmaking at conferences and garnering over 50 million views for innovative AI videos he creates himself and posts online. While the digital world has become an attention-grabbing space for pioneering, M ss ng P eces also saw heightened demand for real-life immersion. The production company led the creation of multiple experiential activations, including an interactive launch event for the 2025 Infiniti QX80 and a boozy 21st birthday party for Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte. Both experiences were led by Aramique. Among the more buzzy was a 4/20-themed pop-up for KFC. Led by Woods and agency Leo Burnett, the chain seized on the marijuana-themed holiday to display its nuggets in the style of a cannabis dispensary. The L.A. shop’s displays were modeled after the experience of buying weed and opened next door to a real dispensary so shoppers could get their munchy needs fulfilled. The activation drove more than 1 billion impressions and a 6.4% increase in sales. View this post on Instagram A post shared by KFC (@kfc) M ss ng P eces also turned out multiple notable video spots. The hero spot for Walmart’s “School Style Decoded” campaign, directed by Ezra Hurwitz with agency PXP Studios, is part Gen Alpha slang glossary and part dance epic. The five-minute video features YouTube and TikTok stars Taylen Biggs and Kat Stickler and brought in 300 crew members and more than 40 kids and was shot in three days, according to a social post by Hurwitz. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ezra H Garcia (@ezrahurwitz) Finally, Michael Marantz’s Cetaphil spot around the Super Bowl, mad with Lippe Taylor, went mega-viral with its sweet story of how the NFL’s new Swiftie audience has brought new bonding opportunities for football fanatic dads and their daughters. See all of Ad Age’s 2025 Agency A-List winners here

M ss ng P eces explores AI use through human creativity

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