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As AI continues to reshape industries and infiltrate daily life, a common thread has surfaced: Consumers don’t trust AI. People everywhere are excited by the technology’s seemingly limitless potential but equally wary about how it might disrupt their lives, careers, and livelihoods.
Everyday users and industry insiders alike are pausing to consider the ethical and practical implications of AI and other advanced tech. To put their worries at ease, forward-thinking brands use humor, design, and community-minded approaches to break down big ideas, communicate key points, and build a sense of security.
Read on to dive into three campaigns that resonate with real user concerns, demystify technologies, and showcase AI as a tool to enhance the human experience instead of hinder it.
Salesforce: Ask More of AI
Campaign Details
Salesforce’s latest installment in the ‘Ask More of AI’ campaign plays out like a Western movie, but one with a message: AI doesn’t have to be a lawless frontier — when handled responsibly, it can be a trusted, reliable partner. Brand ambassador Matthew McConaughey reprises his role as the campaign’s sheriff and steady voice, adding a new closing line that’s key: “Salesforce AI never steals or shares your personal data.”
Around 80% of global C-suite respondents cite accurate and secure data as the most critical elements for building trust in AI in their organization.
In the fear-inducing wild, wild west of artificial intelligence, the software giant understands that the most crucial element standing between AI and customer adoption is trust. And gaining that trust has long served as the north star at Salesforce.
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That’s why, with 22 instances of the word, the campaign landing page and related content hone in on what exactly makes their tech trustworthy — and also why the company recently signed on to a set of voluntary commitments from the White House, designed to ensure the safe and secure development of AI technologies.
We don’t think there needs to be a trade-off between leading-edge innovation and trust.
— Colin Fleming, Executive VP of Global Brand Marketing at Salesforce
What Makes It Human
With a focus on building a sense of confidence and security, choosing Albert Einstein as the face of their AI efforts was a genius move. The instantly recognizable scientist and oft-seen brand character creates an immediate layer of familiarity that conveys “forward-thinking and safe” and has helped boost the platform’s immense and ongoing growth for years. To drive the message home, the mascot’s baked into all kinds of content across owned and paid media as well as new features, events, and more — a promise to uphold Einstein’s good name along with user expectations.
Coinbase: Crypto Moves Money Forward
Campaign Details
Coinbase’s latest campaign serves up a slice of crypto fun, pairing the world of digital currency with people’s love of cheesy goodness. Spinning off cryptocurrency lore in which a programmer purchased two pizzas for 10,000 Bitcoins back in 2010, the company’s clever new campaign illustrates the many pesky fees associated with traditional digital payment methods — and how crypto can help people and businesses keep more of their money.
At the highest level, we have a job to help people understand why crypto matters.
— Kate Rouch, CMO at Coinbase
The funny, fast-paced hero spot was supported by helpful content across the company blog and social media channels, plus a standout brand partnership highlighting NYC’s iconic pizza culture in a relatable and engaging way. Working with Slice, a platform that connects customers with over 600 local pizzerias, Coinbase launched a unique giveaway aimed at introducing people to cryptocurrency without all the confusion; just pizza, fun, and a dash of Bitcoin.
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What Makes It Human
With a fresh and playful look, the goal was to make crypto less intimidating and more approachable — but it also gave small businesses a serious boost. By involving neighborhood pizzerias in the Bitcoin giveaway, Coinbase created a real opportunity to support local communities. Marketers take note: that’s the perfect blend of hi-tech and down-to-earth, with a friendly approach that brings unfamiliar territory closer to home.
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Intuit Mailchimp: Email is Dead
Campaign Details
While electronic mail may not be considered hi-tech these days, Intuit Mailchimp definitely is. The brand’s ‘Email is Dead’ campaign showcased AI’s impact on digital communication and new ways of connecting online in recent years — part of a much larger effort at London’s Design Museum. Going way beyond traditional media, the free experiential exhibit invited visitors to explore the massively impactful past, present, and future of email in a gallery setting for the chance to see (and hear and smell) how alive and well email actually is.
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“There’s been chatter about the death of email for over a decade and every time there’s a new ‘thing’ like SMS or social media, experts speculate on its extinction,” said Intuit Mailchimp’s CMO Michelle Taite. “Now, with the rapid expansion of AI…email is becoming smarter than it’s ever been.”
With the help of AI, our inboxes are becoming increasingly personalized, helping marketers create meaningful, long-standing connections.
What Makes It Human
Guiding visitors through 50 years of email history via immersive installations, sensory experiences, and a visual timeline — complete with Mailchimp’s signature yellow color palette and wacky aesthetic — made for experiential marketing at its best. And with hands-on extras like an email personality quiz (what’s your stance on exclamation points?), merch, and the option to bury your very own ‘email time capsule’, folks could really get in on the fun.
The result? More than 25,000 visits in one month, 84 million earned media impressions, a 75% rise in brand recognition in the UK, and, yes: 16,000 email signups.
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