Interview: Why Muma MY ditched convention and skipped AI in its latest campaign

Artificial intelligence (AI) has infiltrated almost every aspect of our lives and companies are pushing to incorporate it in everything they do. In fact, you typically see brands and agencies boasting their use of the technology. However, what's less common is seeing an agency boast about going the opposite way. 

Recently, independent agency Muma Malaysia decided to ditch AI and go back to basics with its latest campaign for premium beverage brand Bajo Active

The campaign, titled 'Find your mojo, find your Bajo', looked to connect with Gen Zs by recognising the unique challenges faced by the generation in today's world as they navigate a complex societal landscape while facing demanding pressures. 

To do so, the agency employed a series of visuals portraying a young person’s irrepressible spirit facing modern day pressures having found their mojo and passion points.

As part of 'Find your mojo, find your Bajo', its tagline, a series of visuals were released on YouTube. The visuals saw a combination of carefully handcrafted figurines and paper incorporated into a minutely detailed background made of paper cuttings. 

Don't miss: Why half of Malaysian CEOs have yet to adopt gen AI in their work 

The campaign was created with independent agency Muma and lead by Muma's creative partner Choo Chee Wee. The agency also boasted of the fact that it did not use AI in its execution. 

“The highly detailed, handcrafted artwork is a reference to the burning passion the brand shares with a misunderstood group of go-getters. Once the direction was set, the team ran with it and did not take the quick and easy way out – no AI or 3D modelling for us," said Choo notably when the campaign went out.

"Everything was meticulously done by hand, and I am proud of my team and the terrific result. Mostly Gen Zs themselves, they loved the idea and played a significant role in bringing it all together and the awards are a testament to their dedication.”

From ideation to client approval and execution, the entire process took Choo and his team five months to complete. All while juggling several projects at the same time. It might have been easier to use 3D modelling, but it wouldn’t have achieved the same effects and results, said Choo in a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.

By handcrafting the artworks, we were able to achieve the artisanal and aesthetic results that 3D modelling is not able to match.

He explained that the texture and aesthetics are elevated, giving each piece a depth and multi-dimensional aspect even when translated into print and lends a distinctive character to the overall look and feel.

Plus, it offered a learning opportunity for his design team, which was primarily made up of Gen Z professionals.

The hands-on approach meant the team had to dive into the nitty-gritty of their craft and pay attention to every single detail. The tedious and painstaking process, according to Choo, taught them patience and gave them an immense sense of accomplishment once completed. 

“Furthermore, the exposure to different methods allowed the team to develop and hone their art sense which will help them in the future when considering using AI, 3D or handcraft," he added. 

That said, Choo understands that it is important to embrace AI as a tool in creative development. In fact, Muma has been using AI for specific projects and are committed to enhancing its expertise to deliver quality AI work, Choo revealed. The agency is also likely to be investing in AI in 2024.

This includes training and recruiting AI experts and staying abreast of current trends. Of course, the most important factor is grooming the mindset and readying the team to embrace the evolution and run with it. Afterall, technology will continue to evolve.

Aside from Muma, many other organisations are already investing in generative AI for marketing and have dedicated 62% of their total marketing technology budgets towards it.

Of marketers already using Gen AI, 90% expect the technology to be applied to data analytics in the next few years while 89% see its increased application across search engine optimisation and customer services.

Unfortunately, AI is still in its early days and there’s still plenty of limitations present. For starters, AI technology has yet to evolve and grow various forms of style that may help differentiate brands in advertising.

“Today, the styling and look and feel of AI generated outputs are fairly similar looking,” said Choo, adding:

If everyone adopts the AI route 100%, then all creatives will look generic with no differentiation, making it hard for brands to stand out in advertising clutter.

It also, to a certain extent, takes away a certain human element in advertising and creative work. At the end of the day, ads are meant to communicate with humans, said Choo.

Noting that humans are emotional beings who feel, love, laugh and cry, the human touch will undoubtedly resonate stronger with audiences. In fact, Choo finds it unsurprising that adding feelings and soul to the creative work often leads to unexpected outcomes.

After all, by making ads relevant and memorable, agencies can bring about the desired results for clients whether its sales, action, changing opinions or just sparking conversation.

“AI serves as a tool for efficiency and novel expression, but there is still a gap in delivering the authenticity, emotional depth, and originality that defines our work,” said Choo.

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