<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Peter Alexander's new generative AI marketing campaign may have been met with some consumer backlash, but experts say it's the future of brand advertising.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The retailer, which reported record sales of $548 million last financial year, called it a "peek into the Peter Alexander universe" using "a bit of AI magic to leave limits at the doggy door" in campaign materials.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>And consumer psychologists are telling Australians to get used to it, because this will "absolutely" be the norm in the future. </span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/israel-gaza-update-donald-trump-addresses-israeli-knesset-calls-for-benjamin-netanyahu-pardon/3c63614b-9899-4340-bf0f-29b4a6f43dad" target="_blank"><strong><span>Joy, relief and jubilation as Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and detainees given freedom</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The key question now isn't if AI will be used, but how well brands manage to make AI content feel emotionally authentic and human-centred," University of Sydney Business School lecturer and consumer psychologist Dr Christina Anthony told 9news.com.au.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But some Australian shoppers aren't buying it.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Many social media users responded to Peter Alexander's campaign with criticism, questioning the brand's decision to employ AI over human graphic designers.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/peter-alexander-ai-campaign-dogs-expert-commentary/307cbe23-bea5-4bcd-8c2e-de9c62838a46" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Some even swore to boycott the retailer over the campaign.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Consumer psychologist, creative strategist, and Thinkerbell founder Adam Ferrier believes the campaign was a "misfire" but called the backlash "ridiculous".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"No one cares that much that [Peter Alexander] is creating slightly creepy-looking dogs," he told 9news.com.au.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He likened the uproar to that over the use of Photoshop in marketing back in the 2000s and said he seriously doubts anyone will actually boycott the brand.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Advertising has to be incredibly bad, like almost inconceivably bad, to put people off going somewhere and that never happens," Ferrier said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"At its worst, it normally evokes a few complaints from a few keyboard warriors, but even that's not going to really damage the brand."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>9news.com.au has made multiple attempts to contact Peter Alexander - which, like stationery brand Smiggle, is owned by Premier Investments - for comment.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australia-weather-update-south-eastern-temperatures-vary-wildly/8390caa8-e0e2-447f-ac56-00d77c6f10cf" target="_blank"><strong><span>Whip-sawing temperatures to see millions bake while others freeze</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Peter Alexander certainly isn't the first brand to embrace generative AI in marketing.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In August, J Crew and Vans launched an AI campaign promoting their collaboration, followed by the likes of Guess, Valentino, and Moncler.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Reactions were mixed, with some critics slamming the campaigns as "AI slop" while others called it the future of brand advertising.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>How positive the reactions were seemed to depend on how good the AI was.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"At the moment, there are a lot of brands trying to use AI and using it in a really clumsy way that's getting a lot of ridicule," Ferrier explained.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Peter Alexander, they've always had a dog in their advertising ... but as soon as it comes to life as AI, it looks creepy and weird."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But when used well, AI can be a powerful marketing tool.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ferrier has embraced it at Thinkerbell, which recently worked on campaigns for Victoria's Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and Menulog using generative AI.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/warm-and-loving-teen-thom-hosking-killed-on-way-to-school-was-days-from-starting-his-first-job/d86a67af-aee8-4e9a-8fd3-8efa523cf1aa" target="_blank"><strong><span>'Warm and loving' teen killed on way to school was days from starting his first job</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There was some blowback but Ferrier predicts Aussies will quickly come to accept AI marketing as it becomes more mainstream.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It is likely that over time consumers will not react with the same shock or scepticism," Anthony agreed.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She said brands will also become better at creating "human-centred" AI content that evokes more positive reactions.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Like, for example, a pyjama campaign with dogs that look a little less "uncanny valley".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Consumers expect warmth, playfulness, and a human touch from a brand like Peter Alexander ... they don't want to see a slick AI dog in their ads," she added.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Experts predict that as generative AI becomes more powerful and realistic, brands will increasingly utilise it to cut costs, increase output, and personalise content at scale.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In some cases, that may be at the cost of human jobs.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>And even though some Aussies will continue to protest its use in brand advertising, the blowback is unlikely to hurt most companies' bottom line.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"People might express frustration or disapproval initially, but unless a strong alternative brand activates their values better, many will continue shopping out of habit or convenience," Anthony said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"And most brands won't abandon generative AI as the efficiencies are too valuable."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>Have you got a story? 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