The CNA conversation
AI Studio founder Carol Tan was interviewed for CNA’s August report on generative AI advertising in Singapore. She discussed enterprise adoption and adapting creative production across markets. The wider report also examined audience trust and the consequences of poor execution.
Read Ang Hwee Min’s reporting on CNA for the full context and the other contributors’ perspectives.
We welcome the opportunity to contribute to this conversation. For a brand planning its next campaign, the useful question is practical: what should a good AI production partner bring to the work?
“Enterprise clients are the ones who want to be at the forefront of AI.”
Carol Tan, Founder of AI Studio, quoted in CNA
The sections below set out our own perspective, with examples from our public portfolio. They are our commentary on creative production, rather than statements attributed to CNA.
Start with the campaign, then choose the tools
A useful brief starts with the audience, the message and the action the brand wants someone to take. It also identifies what has to stay consistent: the product, brand voice, design language and approved claims.
Consider a product launch that needs a website hero, short social films and variations for several markets. Those are connected pieces of communication. Planning them together creates a clearer visual story and makes the approval process easier to manage.
We would define the core concept first, agree on a visual direction and establish a small set of approved reference frames. Each adaptation then has a reference to work from. Language, framing and pacing can change for the placement while the campaign remains recognisable.
This is the kind of brief our AI video studio is designed to discuss: what needs to be made, where it will run and how the outputs fit together.
Human judgement shapes the finished work
A technically impressive image can still be the wrong image for a brand. The composition might distract from the product. A model’s expression might feel wrong for the message. An attractive background can introduce details that do not belong in the customer’s world.
Creative direction gives these decisions a purpose. It considers the brief, product references, visual hierarchy and intended audience before judging whether an output is ready to develop further.
For product content, the checks need to be specific. Does the label remain readable? Are the colour, proportions and materials faithful to the supplied product? For fashion, does the garment retain its construction, detailing and fit? For video, do those details stay consistent from one frame to the next?
Our approach is to make those questions part of production and approval. Generating more options is useful when the team can identify which options deserve to move forward.
Put the work next to the conversation
Different creative tasks call for different decisions. These examples show the range of visual directions available in our existing public portfolio. They are AI Studio’s work, not images from the CNA report.
Five questions before a campaign goes live
A final review should be concrete enough to catch a problem while there is still time to fix it. These are five useful questions for a brand and its production team to answer together:
- Is the product represented faithfully? Compare the output with the approved reference, including small details that a customer may rely on.
- Does every statement have support? Check the words and what the imagery might imply. Generated visuals should not stand in for evidence of a real result.
- Does the execution suit the audience? Review language, cultural detail, setting and tone in the context of the intended market.
- Does the asset work in its actual placement? Watch the final export, check the crop and captions, and open the landing page on a phone as well as a desktop.
- Has the right person approved the final version? Keep the approved file, version and usage scope clear before it is handed over for publication.
The last step matters because a campaign is experienced as a whole. A strong film, a coherent product page and a clear next action all contribute to the impression a potential customer takes away.
Your next campaign
Bring us the brief. Let’s shape the creative.
Tell us what you are launching, who you need to reach and where the content will appear. We can discuss the visual direction, production approach and scope against your actual brief.