OpenAI is finally launching its ad pilot program on ChatGPT. As the agencies fight over placements, could it truly instill the eroding trust back into the masses?
Since its rollout, ChatGPT has been the trendiest AI platform across the web. Even when there were speculations that it could go into bankruptcy this year, it’s still managed to have every ounce of the limelight. And its Super Bowl ad segment has only added to the whispers.
OpenAI wants to become AI’s Kleenex- it wants to be the practical go-to choice for creativity, work, and problem-solving for everyday challenges. You can build crafts and run a business- all with ChatGPT. According to the ad, the AI superpower wants you to believe this tech isn’t to set like an egg timer, but to change what’s possible- to unravel new frontiers.
That isn’t a small ask.
Users have grown skeptical of this modern tech- well, with all the slop and privacy issues, can you blame them? This promise, which once seemed like an appealing fantasy, has turned into caution.
And now it’s finally starting to roll out ads on its platform. Some of the leading agencies are already purchasing placements.
It’s uncanny- how would these ads work on an AI assistant, or even come to change how users conduct their AI inquiries?
OpenAI has an answer. In one of the Super Bowl ad segments, Anthropic criticizes OpenAI’s ad plans for ChatGPT- citing that ads will transform organic search results. But the former disagrees.
ChatGPT will essentially become the nucleus for brands to introduce products and services that users wouldn’t find through organic interactions. It’ll offer these businesses a new avenue for discovery and visibility. Dentsu is also one of the major leagues.
This ad pilot program could turn how agencies navigate marketing and selling in the new AI phase. LLMs are forecasted to become the new frontier for media. And there’s a diversity of formats- the AI assistant isn’t sticking to a basic one. Each ad will have the “sponsored” label and be mentioned under the organic results, directing users directly into a chat with respective businesses.
Working closely in tandem with market leaders such as Omnicom Media? The AI giant definitely knows what it’s doing.
ChatGPT may not be as sophisticated as other digital ad platforms. But that’s not even a part of its allure for ad agencies. The allure is that GPT is the hottest AI chatbot, with over 800 million users as of now. That offers them enough reason to go to war over the ad placements on there.
It’s merely the preface to brands pivoting to marketing themselves digitally. As buyers turn to conversational interfaces, it only makes us think: this is just a tiny glimpse into an AI-first marketing age.
