Tips for AI video from the creator behind the Volvo spec ad

This unauthorized ad for Volvo - created in less than 24 hours using Runway’s Gen-3 model - may not be perfect, but it showcases the power and potential of AI-generated video.

A mock video ad for Volvo generated buzz this week for appearing authentic, despite being entirely generated by AI and having no connection to the Volvo brand.

Instead, the 46-second spot was developed by Laszlo Gaal, a colorist who used text-to-video platform Runway’s newest model, Gen-3, to portray a Volvo-esque vehicle weaving through a city and spawning lush vegetation in its wake. Gaal used the automaker’s Volvo For Life philanthropic fund as inspiration for the ad. 

Volvo did not respond to a request for comment.

The mock ad, which required less than 24 hours to complete, indicates how quickly text-to-video AI platforms are improving. But while marketers are eager to incorporate this technology into their production processes, they have yet to figure out best practices for generating consumer-ready content.

Its apparent believability is largely what made Gaal’s fake ad stand out to creatives and members of the ad industry.

“This is one of the most impressive commercial film” made with AI, wrote Matthieu Lorrain, a creative lead at Google’s AI research lab, DeepMind, who posted the video on LinkedIn, where it had garnered nearly 1,000 reactions at the time of writing.

“Really impressive … now we have Volvo adverts that aren’t too far off from passable,” commented Justin Westcott, global lead for Edelman’s technology sector.

See the full story, and 5 tips from creator Laszlo Gaal, at AdAge.