Updated September 24, 2026 · By Emiliano Ubaldi
When generating another advertisement becomes almost effortless, the difficult part is deciding why anybody should notice it. A polished image and a familiar promise can look professional while saying very little about the business behind them.
The sameness problem is already visible
In Smartly’s 2026 advertising research, 86% of surveyed marketers said they had already seen AI outputs resembling competitors’ content. That is a report of observed similarity, rather than proof that every AI workflow produces generic advertising. It is a useful reason to strengthen the brief.
A prompt such as “make a high-converting car dealership ad” gives a model very little that is distinctive. It invites familiar layouts, generic excitement and claims that could belong to almost any advertiser.
Give the creative something real to work with
Start with a specific customer concern and a truthful reason to choose the business. That might be a clearly explained buying process, knowledgeable staff or a particular service experience. Use evidence you can substantiate rather than letting the tool invent an advantage.
For dealership campaigns, actual vehicle imagery, current availability and accurate offer conditions matter. An AI-generated concept should never imply that an invented vehicle, price or customer testimonial is real. Brand guidelines should cover tone and claims as well as colours and fonts.
Scale ideas, not just cosmetic changes
My preferred workflow gives people responsibility for the proposition and final judgement. AI can help explore formats, draft variations or adapt approved concepts. A human checks the message against the business, the audience and the source material before anything goes live.
Build genuinely different hypotheses: one concept could answer a practical ownership question, another demonstrate a process, and another introduce the people customers will meet. Changing a headline adjective or background colour is a variation, but it is not necessarily a new idea.
Adapt those ideas to placement. A Facebook or Instagram ad needs a clear opening and an appropriate next step; a search ad needs tight relevance to the query and landing page. Consistency should make the business recognisable without forcing every channel into the same format.
Evaluate creative through relevant enquiries and business outcomes as well as attention. The strongest asset is the one that helps the right customer take a useful next step. Let’s build campaigns with a clearer point of view.
Illustration generated with AI for IM Advise.