AI Roadtrip was an experimental short form video campaign for the Google Pixel. The campaign featured Pixel and iPhone travelling around to destinations suggested by user comments on Instagram.
The campaign was the first of its kind from Google. It was made possible by Google's AI models and a custom AI-powered video generator.
I built the first prototype for the video generator tool. Then, I helped brief The Mill and Leftfield Labs to build the robust video generation pipeline.
How It Works
The AI Roadtrip leveraged the power of generative AI to create custom, fan-driven content at scale. When a fan commented a location idea on Instagram, our purpose-built tool generated a custom video response within minutes. This tool combined Google AI models like Gemini 1.5 Pro for script generation, Imagen for background image creation, and Cloud Text-to-Speech for dialogue synthesis.
Asset Generation
Script Generation
Gemini 1.5 Pro generated multiple scripts based on the commented location, incorporating location-specific references and humor. Our creative team selected, edited, and reviewed these scripts to ensure they aligned with the campaign's voice and style.
Image and Audio Generation
Imagen created a gallery of potential background images that matched the script's context, setting the scene for the adventure. Cloud Text-to-Speech outputted the dialogues from the generated scripts, giving voice to our phone besties. Our internal tools added emphasis and inflections to the synthesized speech, bringing the characters to life.
Final Composition
All generated assets were ingested into Unreal Engine and composited into a 3D scene with Pixel, iPhone, and the car. The background image wrapped around the scene, providing a dynamic and immersive environment. Our nonlinear animation editor allowed creatives to add motion and personalize each video with dynamic elements and textures.
From start to finish, a short video could be generated in as little as 10 minutes, including render time. This innovative approach allowed us to produce hundreds of custom mini-episodes in a single day, all inspired by the imagination of the Pixel community on social media.
Personal Note
This project explored the potential of using AI to create more personalized and immersive content. I have a hunch that there will be more of this type of "AI-powered" advertising campaign.
AI alone will always just output the most feasible thing. AKA boringgggg. However, AI used to support already brilliant creatives will amplify their unique perspective. AKA delightful.