Fashion brand J. Crew has come under fire for allegedly using AI in its latest campaign. While the ads attempt to replicate the hazy nostalgia of the brand's iconic '90s advertising, a closer inspection reveals bizarre discrepancies and visual glitches that can only be the work of modern AI slop.
The '90s birthed some of the best adverts of all time, embracing the weird and the witty to create some truly memorable moments. While J. Crew may have been part of the ranks back in the day, the new ads come across as derivative pastiche, desperately regurgitating the glory of its golden days.
The mock retro ads in question each channel a familiar preppy '90s aesthetic, promoting J. Crew's new collaboration with skate brand Vans. One image in particular features a model on a bike, appearing to take inspiration from legendary photographer Bill Cunningham, while others mimic J. Crew's old school campaigns. While the ads appear innocuous at first glance, lifestyle blog Blackbird Spyplane took a deep dive into the campaign, uncovering a number of "telltale glitches and weirdnesses" from janky garments to nonsensical appendages.
After allegations began to surface, J. Crew added a credit to their social posts, citing that the faux photoshoot was, in fact, "digital art" created by Instagram user @samfinn.studio. Blackbird Spyplane discovered that the artist, who goes by AI. S.A.M, claims to be an "AI photographer" who "seamlessly merges the real with the artificial, challenging our perceptions of authenticity in virtual worlds."
It was clear that J. Crew fans were disappointed by the news, with one Instagram commenter writing "This is creatively bankrupt," while another added "AI is not digital art, it's digital art theft." Others made vows to boycott the brand, seeing the move as a lazy workaround to hiring human talent.
What concerns me the most is the mock authenticity of J. Crew's AI campaign – without Blackbird Spyplane's exposé, I fear it could've easily flown under the radar. Sadly, AI advertising is something we're increasingly seeing, from subway stations to the glossy pages of Vogue. While, unfortunately, it seems the trend will only grow as the technology advances, many have been vocally resistant, proving that most audiences still value human-made campaigns over AI slop. A fact that keeps me hopeful.
