The creative opportunities that can be unleashed with artificial intelligence – specifically generative AI – are what excite Mie-Leng Wong, senior vice president of global brands at Mondelēz.
From creating Nike stores on Mars or finding out what a collaboration between Louis Vuitton and Toblerone would look like, the possibilities are endless, Wong told Storyboard18’s editor Delshad Irani at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.
However, Wong said human intelligence is still a critical source for creativity.
“AI is definitely a new superpower that creates a new and exciting canvas for the curious and original ones,” she said.
Mondelēz launched a Gen AI campaign in India last year, where Cadbury partnered with actor Shah Rukh Khan to support small businesses that suffered during the pandemic, especially during the gifting season of Diwali. The campaign won many Gold Lions as well as a Titanium Lion in 2022.
AI, unsurprisingly, is one of the hot topics at the Cannes Lions Festival. Companies and agencies from around the world have adopted AI in their campaigns and are showcasing them at the festival.
AI is on course to change the face of advertising and marketing. From streamlining processes to adding efficiency to creative progressions, it makes human tasks a lot simpler and less stressful.
Snack trends
Wong said Mondelēz is gearing up to face changing trends in snacking in the post-pandemic era.
“Health and wellbeing trends are becoming more and more important,” Wong said.
She said the need for snacking hasn’t changed too much. People still look for snacks to treat themselves, find comfort or share with others.
However, the way consumers approach this category is changing. Their perspective on indulgence is changing. It is becoming more a part of selfcare than just a frivolous treat. People want to treat themselves without any mental and emotional guilt.
“At Mondelēz, we are challenging ourselves to reimagine the future of snacking through our brands with an emphasis on innovation, creativity and commerce,” Wong said.
Wong added that influencer marketing is a key part of brand building. Brands that are winning today by diving into pop culture are doing so through influencer marketing.
Influencer marketing helps to keep brands modern and topical and can surprise and excite fan bases, said Wong. For example, Oreo, whose brand purpose is to be playful, partnered with Lady Gaga to launch a pink Oreo. IP influencers such as Batman and Xbox too have been a part of Mondelēz’s marketing portfolio.
Most recently, Mondelēz tied up with South East Asian band BlackPink for a limited edition Oreo that created unprecedented access to the girl group.
“Finding the right influencer is like finding the right life partner. You have to most importantly align your values,” said Wong.
Creating societal impact while creating business impact is tough but not impossible.
“Performance without purpose is meaningless, but purpose without performance is impossible,” Wong said.
(Compiled by Aashrey Baliga)