Why are hyper-realistic, fake marketing campaigns taking over?

Did you run to buy the Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara because of the infamous advert of a larger-than-life mascara brush applied to a passing train at a London subway? Were you also dumbstruck after seeing a Barbie as tall as the Burj Khalifa strutting around Dubai, in a strapless swimming suit, in her original Mattel packaging? What about the Jacquemus Le Bambino bags strutting the streets of Paris? Because I was too! 

Popularly referred to as FOOH— Faux-Out-Of-Home— ads, numerous brands are adopting these computer-generated imagery (CGI)-based marketing campaigns to create adverts they could only dream of. As technology is advancing at cosmic speed, many of our favourite fashion and beauty brands are adopting these marketing campaigns because they are proving to be immediate sellouts. For your reference, both these advertisements got Maybelline and Barbie 12 million, and 3.5 million views within a few hours, respectively. In a time when social media is the best tool these brands can use, these viral CGI ads are proving to be their best bets. 

Essentially, FOOH adverts gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic as traditional ones lost their glittery appeal. Because they were restricted to public spaces, and these spaces became redundant during the lockdown, Faux-Out-Of-Home ads were introduced. These connect millions over digital spaces and social media and allow creators the freedom to produce ads that are as ambitious as their hearts desire. Owing to the use of CGI, these videos went viral almost instantaneously, because of the illusion of hyper-realistic visuals that tell compelling, and immersive stories. From a cat driving a Ferrari, to the sun putting some sunscreen on, the extent of these ads goes as far as imaginable, which is exactly why they have popularised at meteor speed. Read on for some of our personal favourite FOOH campaigns. 

Jacquemus

Jacquemus is known among fashion circles for its creative ad campaigns that usually consist of out-of-the-box ideas that get people talking. On 5th April 2023, the fashion brand took to Instagram with its "Bags on Wheels" campaign, setting social media on fire. The CGI advert showed giant versions of several Jacquemus Le Bambino handbags traversing the city of Paris on wheels. The advert was representative of the playful and quirky nature of the brand and hence did wonders in terms of virality and numbers. 

The best part of Jacquemus' campaign was the many variations they did to play around with larger humongous handbags nestled in places they should not be in. This included the Le Bambino handbag hanging high above the city of Seoul, attached to a construction crane, an inflatable purse floating around the coast, a ballerina-shoe speed-boat, and a Jacquemus refrigerator chock full of frozen Jacquemus handbags, shivering. It's almost hilarious how unhinged these adverts are, but now they have evolved to become a signature of the brand.

L'Oreal

The make-up brand released a CGI ad back in the summer of 2023, promoting one of their new lipsticks; the Infallible Matte Resistance Liquid Lipstick. Opening with a Citroën 2CV carrying the weight of the red lipstick down the road on its back, the vehicle is shown painting the town red (quite literally like the lipstick does!), alluding to the long-lasting nature of the product. The advert makes use of marketing gimmicks in a smart way, indirectly referring to the smudge-proof, highly pigmented qualities of the product, through the tape-like print it leaves on the road. The FOOH advertisement worked wonders and reached over 3 million views in a matter of days!

Maybelline New York

The brand's Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara garnered significant attention thanks to the CGI ads that circulated in July of 2023. The advert portrayed an underground train "wearing" fake eyelashes and a giant mascara brush extending out from a billboard coating the lashes as the train pulled into the tube station. Similar to that, a double-decker with huge lashes was seen travelling above the ground, in New York City. As the bus moved through the streets, a huge mascara wand extended from a nearby building and gave its lashes a dramatic coat of mascara. The brand revealed that they had partnered with video creator Ian Padgham to devise this mind-blowing campaign. The success of the campaign was such that many customers actually believed that the brand had lashes and a mascara wand installed in London for shooting the ad. 

Barbie

As described previously, the giant-like Barbie strutting the streets of Dubai next to the Burj Khalifa was a sight for sore eyes, even if it was fake. It was as if the creators let their intrusive thoughts take over and fashion an ad out of a child's point of view. Greta Gerwig's Barbie was a masterclass in marketing, leaving no stone unturned in sparking conversation in every household about this Margot Robbie classic. This CGI ad, showing the doll stepping out of her packaging went instantly viral on social media, thanks to its slightly insane, slightly amazing nature. Designed by Eye Studio, the advert was part of the film's $150 million marketing budget.

However, hilariously so, a few later, Oppenheimer joined Barbie at the Burj Khalifa, thanks to the fact that both movies shared the same birthdate, in another CGI video created by Eye Studio.

Victoria Beckham

The fashion brand's “VBChain Global Takeover” was almost cinematic— while dropping its purses all over the London landscape, the brand advertised its recent release (the Chain Pouch) all over social media, last summer. Almost frolicking about the city like little kids, the advert shows the bags covering London's most iconic tourist spots, including the London Bridge and Big Ben.

Pandora

Last on our list is this Danish jewellery brand's debut at the Copenhagen Fashion Week in August of 2023, made using a CGI advert that showed the walls of a Pandora store opening inwards (it was straight out of Harry Potter!), revealing three locks, one of which is unlocked with a key. The visual was representative of the inauguration of the store and was a huge hit at the fashion week. 

Lead Image Credits (representative image): Pexels

Also Read: It’s not just 'Emily in Paris'—meet these real women leading digital spaces in India
Also Read: Is ‘carbon neutral’ a useful guide to shop sustainably or just another confusing marketing claim?