Matt Koulermos has been in the advertising industry for nearly 20 years. He is the founder of AdWaken.ai, an AI-empowered creative agency. Matt saw the potential of AI to bring more value to clients and improve strategic, creative, and production processes.
This led him to create AdWaken.ai to explore these possibilities in a commercially viable way. AdWaken.ai encourages its team to learn new AI platforms by offering monthly skills-based bonuses. Matt hires people who are interested in learning about AI.
This ensures that the entire organization is working towards the same goal of pushing the limits of the technology. AdWaken.ai recently created a social video ad for a producer of high-quality sipping tequila called Tequila Heads. The video was made entirely through AI, except for the music track.
The result was comparable to a location shoot in Jalisco, Mexico, but at a much lower cost. The mission of AdWaken.ai is to use AI to amplify its team’s capabilities. The agency creates campaigns and high-conversion websites that grow brands and drive audience actions.
Matt sees the agency continuing to improve its AI proficiency.
Advertising agency leveraging AI creativity
This will allow it to perform like a 100-person agency with just 20 people, making the most of each client dollar.
Matt believes that regulations on AI use in the creative industries are necessary. These regulations would prevent artist rights infringements and ensure ethical technology use. However, he thinks that much of the hostility towards AI comes from human fear of the unknown, especially given how quickly AI technology is evolving.
The constant flow of new AI platforms, tools, and updates has greatly improved capabilities. But humans tend to stick with methods that have been proven to work, which slows down wider AI adoption. “It’s a very human-centric constraint, and some of the most talented people in the industry see it more as a threat than a tool to help them,” Matt says.
“Which is why we have embraced the constant change, learning, and friction created by AI, ultimately benefiting our clients.”
AI can create hyper-customized content that fits clients’ needs, providing better returns on advertising spend. This is done by combining human creativity with AI. It shows that AI is not a substitute for human editors but a tool for more efficient work and rapid iteration.
“History shows that new technology often faces opposition initially, but once people see the benefits, it quickly gets adopted,” Matt adds. “I am optimistic about what people can do with AI. Instead of disregarding it, I hope more people embrace it, unlocking a previously unimaginable world of creativity.”
