Behind the Scenes of Vodafone’s AI Commercial
When Vodafone asked Lipstick Berlin to create a 100% AI-generated commercial, I was brought on board as an AI artist. My job? To take director Sebastian Strasser’s ideas and wrestle them into existence using AI tools. Think of me as the middleman between a creative visionary and an algorithm that thinks putting a bonsai tree in a baby’s crib is a “nice touch.” Spoiler: it isn’t.
AI is often described as a tool, but let me tell you, after months of pulling the proverbial slot machine lever, hoping for something usable, I started feeling like the tool myself. The workflow went like this: Sebastian would give us incredibly detailed, thoughtful directions—down to the coffee stains by the espresso machine—and I’d throw those ideas into MidJourney or Runway, praying for an output that didn’t look like it belonged in an IKEA catalogue.
Sometimes, the AI would knock it out of the park. Other times, skydivers grew extra limbs that spun like helicopter blades, and babies came out looking like they moonlighted as taxidermy projects. Consistency was elusive, but hey, if this job has taught me anything, it’s that persistence pays off—or at least gets you closer to what you need.
I stuck with MidJourney, Runway, and Kling—tools I knew inside out. MidJourney was great for generating initial images but terrible at subtle realism. Ask it for a lived-in kitchen, and you’d get something cleaner than a sterile lab. Kling’s new motion brush saved the day for a tricky shot of a boy making “mud angels,” where previous attempts made him look like he was summoning demons instead.
Meanwhile, my teammates brought their own magic to the table. Lukas, for example, had a way of lighting shots that made them feel warm and cinematic. My lighting was harsher—think sunlight through broken blinds versus a cozy evening glow. It was chaotic, but it worked.
Sebastian Strasser is a master of the human touch. He guided us with a creative bible—a document that distilled his filmmaking ethos into actionable advice. Imperfections, visceral handheld camera movements, and set dressing that tells a story? These were his commandments. And let me tell you, it was like taking a three-year film course condensed into three weeks.
He emphasized casting that felt real. Forget perfect teeth and symmetrical faces; he wanted characters with personality, faces that hinted at a life lived. Honestly, it’s what made this ad feel grounded—even if every shot was born from an algorithm.
Here’s the kicker: the ad tells a human story, yet AI is about as human as a toaster. People see AI as a mechanical alien, and some view it as an insult to life itself. That’s a tough hurdle when your job is to make AI outputs feel alive.
The feedback since the ad’s release has been a mix of curiosity and skepticism. Some nitpick, saying, “But you color-graded the footage, so it’s not technically AI.” To those folks, I say: Did you think movies shot with cameras weren’t graded or composited? Nitpickers gonna nitpick.
The biggest takeaway for me? The importance of human quirks. If AI leans toward sterile perfection, then filmmakers, writers, and artists like us need to inject humanity into the process. It’s not just about counteracting the machine-driven sameness—it’s about telling stories that feel real.
One of my favorite sequences was the POV shots of people greeting a newborn baby. Lukas nailed the warmth and emotion, making the moment feel genuinely joyful. At one point, Sebastian even joked, “Sure, let’s throw a dog in there too.”
This was my first time working on a high-profile commercial, and there was no blueprint for how to integrate AI into the process at this scale. It was chaotic—a sort of beautiful, controlled chaos thanks to Sebastian and Karolina’s leadership.
Would I do it again? Absolutely. Would I prefer if the skydivers stopped flailing like inflatable tube men? Also yes.
If you’re a creative looking to integrate AI into your work, know this: it’s not a magic wand. It’s a wild card, a collaborator with no concept of nuance. Your job is to bring the human element—whether it’s in the imperfections, the emotions, or simply your persistence in making it work.
And if you’re just here to watch the ad, questioning if it’s 100% AI, mission accomplished. It’s all AI, baby. No actors, no stock footage, just a lot of stubborn creatives pulling levers until something clicked.
