The AI Ad-Pocalypse Is Here: Why Your Brain Can’t Tell the Difference Anymore

2026 is the year AI ads will flood your screen—and your brain—until you can’t tell a human-made commercial from a glitchy algorithm’s fever dream.

Dom Boyd, Kantar managing director, noted:

The vast majority of people didn’t notice the ad was AI-generated (we asked).

A 2025 Marketing Week study found 50% of 1,000 polled brand marketers used AI in creative campaigns. The IAB reported 90% of advertisers used or planned to use generative AI for video ads in 2025, projecting 40% of all ads will be AI-generated by 2026.

Coca-Cola’s AI holiday ads replicated its iconic red truck campaign, leveraging decades of nostalgia. In contrast, Kalshi’s NBA ad via Google Veo 3 cost $2,000—compared to $10M for Old Spice’s "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign.

An IAB study found cost efficiency, time savings, and scalability now prioritize creativity in ad campaigns. However, a "resistance movement" is emerging, with brands like Aerie and Polaroid rejecting AI in favor of analog imperfection.

Neal Arthur, Wieden and Kennedy CEO, said:

I don’t spend any time worrying about whether AI is going to take over for us as humans.