Rethinking Advertising: Wordmarks

Gen AI can now do more than generate impressive visuals - it can also create precise text and wordmarks. Everything from logos to detailed branding elements can be created with exceptional clarity and accuracy. 

The Creative Challenge

Using Gen AI to create product imagery is only useful if it’s also possible to incorporate text. A product shot without its branding or logo isn’t going to cut it when it comes to launching campaigns. The branding needs to be seamlessly integrated into the shot, or the image will lose its authenticity, and you risk cheapening the product. We wanted to explore adding logos to a range of products, including printed labels and logos in different textures and materials.

The Outcome

We found that it was possible to create a range of image styles covering different product categories. Crucially, you can now change any element of the wordmark, including font, styling, colour and size. Wordmarks can also be applied in numerous ways: embossed, silkscreen printed, painted, hand-drawn and so on. The versatility and accuracy of the feature is crucial if Gen AI is going to be fit for purpose. It has to work for the range of product shots and brand styles that we see in the real world.

The Methodology

I have not seen many brands make use of this feature yet, and can imagine we will be seeing a lot more of this over the second half of the year as brands fine-tune models based on their brand assets. Why not have a play and see if you can jump ahead of the competition? Take a look at the prompts and results below for inspiration.

PROMPT: A mid-shot of the "Pencil" logo on a leather handbag, emphasizing its luxury design. The brand name is prominently displayed in bold, gold debossed text against black leather. Highlight details, Canon EOS R5, Professional lighting with soft shadows. Hyper realistic photography --chaos 10 --ar 3:4 --style raw --stylize 300

PROMPT: A closeup of the "Pencil" logo on a reusable metal water bottle, emphasizing its quirky modern japanese design. The wordmark is in white helvetica. Lifestyle design product photography. The brand name is prominently displayed in silkscreen print across the bottle. The bottle is purple, it has fun vector graphics printed across it which intersect the logo. Secondary colours are white, sky blue and to a lesser extent green and peach. The graphics are of little people and objects at play. Highlight details, Canon EOS R5, Professional lighting with soft shadows. Hyper realistic photography

PROMPT: A closeup of the "Pencil" logo on a super cool hipster skateboard. The wordmark is in white helvetica. Lifestyle / sport design editorial product photography. The brand name is prominently displayed in silkscreen print across the back of the skateboard. The skateboard rests against a concrete block in a modern urban environment. The skateboard is purple, it has bold vector graphics printed across it which intersect the logo. Secondary colours are white, sky blue and to a lesser extent green and peach. The graphics are of graffiti. Highlight details, Professional lighting with soft shadows. Hyper realistic photography

PROMPT: A closeup of the "Pencil" logo on a car rear. The wordmark is in white helvetica. magazine editorial product photography. super slick and modern styling and contrast. Lots of graphite, black, silver and metallic gloss shine. Secondary colours in the background are white, sky blue and to a lesser extent green and peach. Highlight details, Professional lighting with soft shadows. Hyper realistic photography

PROMPT: A mid-shot of the "Pencil" logo on a washing powder box. The wordmark is in white helvetica. 'lived-in' product photography. super fun, bright and modern styling and contrast. The box is red and white and has fun graphics on the box design. hero product packshot. box is sat in a washing basket amongst laundry. Secondary colours in background are white, sky blue and to a lesser extent green and peach.  Highlight details, Professional lighting with soft shadows. Hyper realistic photography

PROMPT: A mid-shot of the "Pencil" logo on a luxury bottle of shampoo. The wordmark is in gold helvetica. Instagram style influencer product photography. super fun, bright and modern styling and contrast. the bottle is black and white and minimal aesthetic. hero product pack shot. the bottle is on a shelf in an alcove in a shower in a trendy modern bathroom. Secondary colours in background are white, sky blue and to a lesser extent green and peach.  Water droplets cover the surfaces. reflections of a person can be seen in the background. some plant life can be seen. Highlight details, Professional lighting with soft shadows. Hyper realistic photography

The Conclusion

Through leveraging Gen AI, we were able to unlock a range of image styles that were adaptable to a diverse set of product categories. The wordmarks feature was versatile and customisable enough to cater to any brand aesthetic. It’s not hard to imagine how this will change the way we approach product imagery and branding as time goes on. In particular, being able to create different product shots so quickly opens up a ton of possibilities when it comes to testing. Rather than organising a costly shoot or having to create real mockups of products, you can test out different products and different brand styles - a practice that is likely to become the norm in the coming years or even months.