January ads usually blur together, but Equinox just dropped a short that hits a nerve. It mirrors our feeds: speed, noise, and an avalanche of auto-generated mush. My take? The ad is right. The market is tipping. Lazy AI content is now a liability, not a growth hack.
Kipp Bodnar and Kieran Flanagan from Marketing Against the Grain nailed the mood. They don’t argue against AI. They’re pushing for taste, craft, and work that stands up after the scroll. That aligns with my experience building companies, writing, and shipping digital products for decades.
The Ad That Called Out Our Feeds
Equinox ran a montage of AI-heavy imagery, then flipped to a stark line late in the spot. It felt like the internet had eaten junk and spit it back at us. The point wasn’t just shock. It was a mirror.
“AI content is everywhere right now, and most of it is total garbage.”
“You can’t use AI for the transformation.”
That’s the crux. Tools can track reps, suggest sets, even coach. But the body changes because a human shows up. Marketing is no different. AI can speed the work, but it can’t be the work.
What The Moment Demands
We’ve had a flood of short, empty clips. Engagement spikes, then interest drops. Kipp and Kieran argue we’ve hit the backlash. I agree. The next edge is authenticity with staying power. Think human-led creative that uses AI for leverage, not cover.
“If you’re ignorant on a subject without AI, then you’re 10x ignorant on that subject with AI.”
That line stings because it’s true. Put weak thinking into a machine and you get shinier weak thinking. The internet can smell it.
Authenticity Isn’t Vague—It’s Positioning
Kieran pointed to Patagonia’s famous “Don’t buy this jacket” ad. That was smart positioning, not nostalgia. It took a stand that matched the product, the audience, and the moment. AI could help draft copy or generate comps, but the idea—the taste—was human.
As a marketer who’s lived through booms in social, search, and crypto, I’ve seen this cycle. A new tool floods the zone. Then the market rewards taste and discipline. We’re back there now.
Where I’d Bet My Time
Here’s how to use this AI-heavy year and still build work that lasts. These are simple, but they’re hard to fake.
- Pick a craft and commit: video, long-form writing, product-led content—choose one and go deep.
- Ship on a cadence: weekly beats perfect. Consistency builds leverage.
- Use AI for drafts, research, and distribution, not for your voice.
- Raise your “creative density”: add layers of thought the audience can feel.
- Label your process: say when it’s human-first. Let people know it’s not autopilot.
Depth matters more than ever, and the tools can help you learn faster. But they can’t care for you.
Counterpoints—and Why They Fall Short
Some will say the algorithm favors quick hits, so quick hits are the strategy. Short spikes add up, right? Maybe for a quarter. But Kipp and Kieran are right: that path burns brand trust. It teaches audiences not to expect anything real from you.
Others claim AI will replace taste. I don’t buy it. Models pattern-match what already worked. Taste sets a new pattern. The winners will be tastemakers with systems.
The Opportunity Hiding in the Backlash
The feeds are noisy. That’s not a curse—it’s a filter. When most folks push low-effort output, craft stands out more, not less. AI becomes a tailwind for the thoughtful. Equinox didn’t just mock slop. It challenged us to claim the harder path: work that endures.
My stance is simple: Use AI to compress time, not judgment. Keep the human at the center. Build work you’d sign with your name—because your audience will feel the difference.
Final Thought
Make this the year you pick a lane and learn in public. Build a system for ideas, drafts, feedback, and iteration. Label the human effort. If you do, the backlash to AI slop won’t hurt you—it will help you.
Start this week. Publish one piece you’re proud of. Strip the filler. Add one more layer of care than you think you need. Then repeat. The market is hungry for creators with taste. Be one.
