Beyond AI: The Human Element in Digital Marketing and Advertising

As artificial intelligence continues to make strides in digital marketing, many believe it will eventually replace the human touch in advertising altogether. But while AI can analyze data, predict behavior, and even automate certain ad placements, it cannot replicate the one thing that remains central to effective marketing: human connection.

The Limitations of AI in Building Trust

Consumers value authenticity. There’s a growing awareness of how AI-driven ads can feel disingenuous. A recommendation from a bot simply lacks the nuance and emotional weight of advice from a trusted friend or fellow human. AI can suggest products based on algorithms, but it cannot tap into the deeper emotional triggers that influence purchasing decisions. Humans understand context, empathy, and the importance of trust in relationships – elements that AI, as sophisticated as it is, cannot replicate.

Take influencers, for example. Their authenticity and relatability are key reasons why they’ve become such powerful figures in digital marketing. When an influencer recommends a product, they’re often seen as a friend or peer offering honest advice. Their audience trusts them because of the genuine human-centered interactions they foster, not because a machine generated a recommendation based on data points.

AI is a Tool, Not a Replacement

Instead of replacing the human element, AI should be viewed as a tool that can support and empower marketers to connect with their audience on a deeper level. AI can streamline the process of identifying target demographics, analyzing consumer behavior, and providing insights that were previously time-consuming to gather. 

But at the end of the day, it’s the emotional resonance and authenticity of the human touch that fosters long-term relationships with customers.

Marketers should focus on using AI to enhance the personalization of their ads while retaining the core of human-driven marketing – the ability to build trust. For example, AI can be used to identify which products are most likely to appeal to a specific audience, but it’s up to the marketer to craft compelling narratives and messages that truly connect on a personal level.

The Future of Advertising: Collaboration Between Humans and AI

Moving forward, the most successful advertising strategies will be those that combine the best of both worlds: AI’s efficiency and data processing power, alongside human creativity and emotional intelligence. 

As AI continues to evolve, the role of the marketer will shift from being a purely analytical decision-maker to a creative leader who knows how to use AI’s insights to craft meaningful and engaging ads.

By blending human intuition with AI-driven insights, advertisers can create campaigns that feel more personalized, authentic, and ultimately, more effective. The future of digital marketing isn’t about replacing humans with machines – it’s about how they can work together to deliver more powerful, personalized, and trustworthy advertising experiences. 

Why GeistM is Built for This New Era

With years of experience driving performance and building brands, we understand that successful marketing is rooted in emotion, storytelling, and connection. Our in-house creative team specializes in crafting personalized, compelling content that resonates with audiences—something AI can’t fully replicate. Built on transparency, authenticity, and trust, we ensure your messaging feels real and connects on a deeply human level.

At GeistM, we’re not trying to replace the human touch with AI—we’re using AI to amplify our human expertise. That’s what sets us apart, and that’s why we’re the right partner for brands looking to thrive in this new marketing landscape.

Best Ads of Q1 2025 – Marketing Experts Weigh In

Welcome to the first quarterly edition of GeistM’s Best Ads of 2025! Our team is once again diving into the most eye-catching, innovative, and inspiring ads we’ve come across recently. Each month, we gather to share standout campaigns and vote on our favorite.

As we kick off 2025, we’re more excited than ever to spotlight the ads that challenge norms and elevate our creative thinking.

Without further ado, here are our top picks for the Best Ads of Q1 2025 — the campaigns setting the tone for an exciting year ahead.

Best Ads of January 2025

Third Place for January’s Best Ad: Pinney Talfourd Solicitors

What makes this ad so eye-catching is the spacing of the bolded words across the sentence. At first glance, your eyes naturally jump to “Our,” “lawyers,” “are,” “better,” creating a quick, almost subliminal message about the firm’s credibility.

But when you actually read the whole thing, you realize it’s playing with marketing rules in an ingenious way. The mix of scattered bold words and the punchline at the end makes it not just eye-catching, but also pretty clever.

January Joint Runner-Up for Best Ad: Severance Season 2

Instead of a typical ad or trailer, they dropped the cast into a glass-walled office and had them silently “work” like their characters. People walking by were naturally curious — was this a stunt? A social experiment? It felt unsettling, just like the show. And, of course, everyone started filming, sharing, and freaking out online, making it go viral almost instantly. 

The pop-up fit perfectly with the show’s eerie, corporate vibe, so it didn’t feel like forced marketing — it felt like stepping into the Severance world. By choosing a high-traffic spot like Grand Central, they maximized exposure without a huge ad spend, letting social media do the work. Fans saw the cast in real life, the buzz skyrocketed, and now, everyone’s talking about Season 2. This is how you do marketing right!

January Joint Runner-Up for Best Ad: Kellogg’s – OG ‘See You in the Morning’ Campaign

This ad works because it cleverly combines nostalgia with modern design. The clever use of “OG” in the design not only hints at the brand’s original greatness but also appeals to modern audiences familiar with the term. It’s a fun, simple way to remind longtime fans of Kellogg’s history while engaging younger consumers with a pop culture reference.

January Best Ad WINNER: Heinz “No Logo” Campaign

This Heinz campaign is pure marketing genius. It doesn’t even need to show the product or logo — we just know. The sensory cues are so iconic — ketchup’s deep red swirl, the creamy texture of mayo, the glossy baked beans — that our brains immediately fill in the blanks and imagine the flavor even though you’re not physically tasting it. 

The tagline “It Has To Be” plays on a universal truth: Fries need ketchup, toast needs beans, chips need mayo, and bread goes hand in hand with soup. This is a masterclass in brand association, proving Heinz owns these food pairings. It’s bold, minimalist, and extremely effective.

Conclusion

That’s a wrap on GeistM’s top ads from January 2025! Check back next month for another roundup of standout ads from 2025.

Written By: Emma McHugh

The Best Ads of Q4 2024: Inspiring Campaigns That Redefined Creativity — As Chosen By Digital Marketers

Welcome to round two of GeistM’s quarterly “Best Ads of 2024” series! 

Once a month, the GeistM team gathers to highlight the most impactful ads we’ve seen. We share our  top picks “from the wild,” and then vote on the one that inspires us the most.

Every day, we’re immersed in campaigns that redefine innovation, storytelling, and strategy. And as marketers, we’re always on the lookout for standout ads that elevate our creative game. 

We’re thrilled to reveal our top picks for the Best Ads of Q4 2024! Keep reading to discover the ads that not only caught our attention but sparked fresh ideas, pushing the boundaries of what marketing can achieve…

Our Favorite Ads From October 2024

First up for Honorable Mentions: Turbo Tax

This one caught our attention because it’s so bad, it’s… good? When an ad is so poorly executed that it sparks a Reddit thread on r/badad, it’s no longer a ‘bad ad’— it’s a conversation starter. This Redditor perfectly captures how we felt about it: 

“I don’t understand, is this poorly photoshopped low-res bald guy with a mustache from 2012 supposed to be giving me confidence that my taxes will be done correctly? Did some autogenerated image algorithm decide this pic gets the most clicks? Was it made using Fiverr for actually $5? Did the marketing person’s nephew make it?” 

Whether it actually led to conversions for TurboTax, we’ll never know. But it did get us laughing!

Our Runner-Up For Best Ad Of October 2024: Aquaphor x Moo Deng

This ad is our October runner-up because it ingeniously connects their brand to a viral meme as well as an online skincare trend. By featuring the internet’s favorite hippo, Moo Deng, and associating her with the ‘slugging’ skincare trend (applying a thick layer of moisturizer to lock in hydration), Aquaphor taps into the relatable, cute factor that resonates on social media — all while reinforcing their product’s effectiveness for deep moisturization. 

Our Winner For Best Ad October 2024: Green Light

We love this ad as marketers because it cleverly arranges popular songs to spell out a funny and relatable sentence, while promoting Green Light, making the message both fun and memorable. It’s a subtle, creative approach that speaks directly to the audience without feeling like an overt sales pitch, which is a win in digital marketing.

Our Favorite Ads From November 2024

Our November Honorable Mention: Vim – Prison Cleaner

This is a throwback from 2005 that we stumbled across online, but had to share. It brilliantly highlights Vim’s unique selling point: it makes cleaning so easy that it “frees” you from spending hours on end cleaning or feeling trapped in a dirty home. By humorously dramatizing the mundane but relatable chore of cleaning as someone being imprisoned, the ad transforms an everyday frustration into a memorable and entertaining story. In the end, Vim saves the day by being a fast and effective cleaning solution.

Our November Runner-Up: Ryanair

Ryanair has built a bold, cheeky brand voice that resonates with younger audiences who love brands with a sense of humor. This ad perfectly reflects that personality by using a meme and a clever caption that’s easy to understand, share, and in turn, go viral. It playfully references the popular trend of traveling to Turkey for hair transplants, using a character with exaggerated baldness as a subtle but hilarious nod — making it feel like an inside joke without directly saying it.

Our Best Ad Of November 2024: Calm’s 30 Seconds of Silence.

What makes this ad so brilliant is its simplicity and disruption. Shown during the high-stress, noisy environment of the presidential debates, it offered viewers exactly what they needed: a moment of silence. It was unexpected and grabbed attention effortlessly. It broke the noise, forcing people to notice and remember the brand while embodying its product in real-time.

Providing instant relief amid the chaos perfectly aligned with Calm’s core promise. The ad brought peace and mindfulness to its viewers, so they could feel the benefits of Calm before even downloading the app.

Our Favorite Ads From December 2024

First up for Honorable Mentions: iOS for Gemini Release

This ad stands out with its minimalist design, using bold, repetitive text to make sure the Gemini app’s release on iOS is impossible to miss. The clean look and simple typography match Google’s modern, polished branding perfectly. Showing a hand passing a bag through a car window adds a creative, relatable touch.

Best Ad December 2024 Runner Up: Curry’s Samsung Laptop

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDRn_M2Mp8F/?igsh=MTA3OGh1MGhxMG9jcQ%3D%3D

This video does a great job of mixing humor with promotion to keep things fun and memorable. It kicks off with a playful back-and-forth of water bottle kicking, which grabs attention right away. 

The interruption by the other Curry’s staff member, and then the sudden shift to highlighting the Samsung laptop’s features, communicates the product message without feeling too forced. The funny ending wraps things up with a clear message: “Head on down to Curry’s now.” It’s entertaining, lighthearted, and gets the point across.

Our Best Ad WINNER For December 2024:

This ad works so well because it pulls you in with a mix of heart and humor. The line, “He’s 6’1″, but he still looks up to me,” is warm, relatable, and highlights the special bond between a parent and child. It feels personal and authentic, and the call to action, “Adopt a teen. You can’t imagine the reward,” is simple yet powerful. Combined with the heartfelt imagery, it’s an ad that not only captures your attention but also leaves a meaningful impression.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed GeistM’s roundup of the best ads from Q4 2024. Be sure to check back next month for a new selection of top ads from 2024!

Written By: Emma McHugh