AI Failures that Prove Humans are Still Relevant in Marketing

According to research from SCAYLE, 44% of UK consumers feel uncomfortable with brands using AI-generated product images and models. Another 41% aren’t keen on AI-generated video content either (retailtechinnovationhub.com). Some are switching off completely when the content feels too artificial.

And then there’s AI influencers. Glossy feeds, overly shiny skin, and absolutely zero relatability. Nearly half of people reckon they’re too fake to trust. That’s a problem, because marketing without trust is just noise, and customers are getting more and more cynical.

At Spaghetti Agency we love AI, but we also recognise that it’s about using it properly. Tools are tools. They don’t replace people who know how to read a room, and they definitely can’t replace the human touch.

AI Failures that Prove Humans are Still Relevant in Marketing

1. The Wonka Fantasy Turned Nightmare

Do you remember back in 2024 when the unlicenced Willy Wonka Experience was totally over-hyped and completely under-delivered? The marketing team (I’m assuming it was them) had the job to advertise the experience, so they chose to create stunning promo images full of glowing tunnels, jellybean trees and chocolate rivers.

But when families turned up in Glasgow, they got a half-empty warehouse and a couple of unrehearsed actors in dodgy wigs. Parents were fuming, kids were crying, the police were called, and the whole thing blew up online. AI sold a dream that no one had bothered to actually build.

This is what happens when you let AI create your marketing and forget the real-life bit. If the story you’re telling doesn’t match what people get, don’t be surprised when they’re really rather pissed off.

Photo credit: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/apr/10/glasgow-willy-wonka-chocolate-experience-recreated-los-angeles

2. Coca-Cola Swapped Heart for Hype

Coca-Cola’s Christmas ads are usually bang on. They often include emotional music, and plenty of sparkly festive feelings. But in 2025 they went AI-heavy, and it all felt… flat.

The ad looked clean enough, but it had no warmth. It didn’t feel like Christmas. People noticed straight away and Coke were slated for it. You can’t fake nostalgia, and you can’t outsource feeling to a machine.

Coke built decades of brand love on emotional storytelling. (Remember ‘Holidays are Coming?) This time, they tried to cut corners, and it showed.

Photo credit: https://advertisingweek.com/a-very-ai-christmas-did-coca-colas-ad-lose-its-holiday-spirit/

3. AI That Looks Right but Lands Wrong

Shein ran a campaign using AI-generated models that looked too perfect and not very real. It didn’t take long for people to call it out. In an industry already under fire for fast fashion and dodgy ethics, using fake faces didn’t exactly help.

Airbnb tried something similar with travel ads made using AI. The problem is, they didn’t look like real places or real experiences. They felt more like stock photos with the personality removed.

Heinz also gave it a go. They ran a campaign to show how iconic their branding is by getting AI to recreate their ketchup bottles. But the results looked off. Misshapen bottles, wrong colours, all a bit messy. Instead of proving a point, it just reminded people that AI still doesn’t quite get it. It was a bit ‘meh’.

The Bottom Line

For all the hype, AI-generated content isn’t actually giving people what they want. Engagement is starting to drop off, trust is taking a hit, and audiences are switching off when they’re served the same polished, generic content over and over again. It might look slick, but it doesn’t feel real, and people can tell.

It’s not that everyone hates AI, although there are plenty of environmentalists who comment on TikToks which are clearly made using AI.

We think the issue is how brands are using it. We absolutely advocate the use of AI for process building, automation, transcribing conversations, creating structure, repurposing content, etc.

But too many people are using AI as a shortcut to churn out more content, faster, without stopping to think whether any of it actually means something. When everything starts to look the same and feel a bit fake, people lose interest.

You don’t need to create more content. You need to make better, more relevant content that speaks to the people you want to reach. Say something worth hearing, whether that’s informative, educational, or just entertaining.

Show up like the person you are and use AI as the tool it should be – just a tool to make life easier, not replace you or your voice.

That’s the stuff that sticks and works.

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