In a recent study, 300 participants were asked to blindly rate appetite appeal for real food versus AI-generated images.

Neapolitan and Oxonian researchers found that, generally speaking, people prefer food photography generated by artificial intelligence, which gave Fuse Create, the agency partner for Maple Leaf Foods’ Schneiders brand, an idea. Fuse worked with Schneiders to see if AI could generate product photos that look more delicious than the origional.

Steve Miller, the shop’s executive creative director, tells strategy that after hearing about the study on the radio, Fuse asked whether Schneiders “could be beat by AI.” After all, he says, a lot of what Fuse posts on social is real food photography, and that both Maple Leaf Food and Schneiders are brands which strive to be deeply rooted in quality.

But Miller says that “when you’ve got great food, it can’t be beat with AI.” Fuse’s hypothesis, he adds, was to prove AI wrong with this, a digitally- and socially-lead campaign primarily aimed at Schneiders fans and followers.

“We’ve seen it engage a lot with the photography community and the advertising community,” he says.

The “Schneiders vs SchnAIders campaign,” Miller says, was an interesting means of discussing artificial intelligence, and a way to talk about an interesting research study as well.

Incorporating AI into advertising Miller says, has for the most part been used creatively, but in some instances, AI’s been used for its own sake without the core of a creative idea. Brands and agencies are using AI in interesting ways, but it can be tricky and if you are doing it on behalf of a brand, there has to be a story to tell, Miller stresses.

The campaign is timed to the springtime, a key time for backyard BBQ, but also baseball. The Toronto Blue Jays are featuring the brand with the Schneiders Porch in rightfield of its home ballpark, the Rogers Centre, where it offers a hot maple and bacon hot dog. The brand’s Loonie Dogs have also returned on Tuesday nights this season at the ballpark.

Fuse Create’s media company handled the buy.

A recent KPMG survey reveals that Canadians are increasingly turning to generative AI for a variety of uses.