Whenever CRED drops a campaign, the internet doesn’t just watch; it pauses, memes, and debates. Remember 2021? Rahul Dravid raging as ‘Indiranagar ka gunda’, Bollywood legends like Madhuri Dixit, Govinda, and Bappi Lahiri making quirky comebacks, or Jackie Shroff casually teaching gardening. Each film wasn’t just an ad; it was a cultural event sparking chatter from timelines to water coolers almost instantly.
In its latest AI-led outings, CRED featured Gautam Gambhir and Farah Khan. One film shows Gambhir’s head perched on an ice cream, being forced into the Indian team coach’s mouth, only for Gambhir, watching this bizarre spectacle on a laptop, to react in disbelief. The spot ends with a CRED executive revealing it was created using artificial intelligence. Just after that, Gambhir smashes the laptop in frustration.
In the follow-up ad spot, Farah Khan’s face melts into a grotesque chocolate goo as she watches the surreal chaos unfold. She could have screamed or protested, but she stayed calm, knowing her team had ensured she was fully paid for the ad.
Moonshot, an agency by Tanmay Bhat, also executes these ads. They have been creating the ads for CRED since the inception of the agency.
But in the latest outings with AI-led films starring Gambhir and Khan, it has not landed with the same thunder. This was quite surprising, a brand campaign that got likes, comments, and shares in just a few hours of release, but this is surprisingly muted.
But their latest outings, AI-led films starring Gautam Gambhir and Farah Khan, haven’t landed with quite the same thunder. The visuals are surreal, the execution futuristic, but the buzz? Surprisingly muted. Which begs the question: Has AI become advertising’s shiny new toy, impressive on the surface, but at the risk of losing the human spark that made brands like CRED stand out?
Is there mounting pressure on marketers and agency heads to incorporate AI into their campaigns, lest they fall behind in the race? With brands increasingly embracing AI-driven creativity, the bigger question remains: Does relying on AI risk diluting the original storytelling that once made these campaigns truly stand out?
We reached out to CRED to understand, but they declined to comment.
Naresh Gupta, co-founder of Bang in the Middle, says this edition of CRED ads is simply bad advertising, whether using AI or not. He adds that AI is just a tool; you first need a clear idea and a strong message for the brand, and only then should you decide how to execute it.
Gupta further explains that many marketing directors today are keen to showcase to their networks that they’ve used AI in a film. “The emphasis is on making the process faster, more efficient, and cheaper. It’s more about signaling that I’m doing something trendy today, rather than focusing on what truly drives growth for the brand. Marketing exists to gain market share, not simply to say, We used AI,” he adds.
Anadi Sah, National Creative Director and Founding Partner, tghtr, says that CRED’s earlier campaigns stood out because they broke category conventions and redefined Indian advertising. They weren’t just entertaining or shareable; they became case studies in creativity that resonated across the industry.
“Setting a high benchmark puts pressure on the brand, and CRED’s recent campaigns have struggled, feeling different for the sake of it and landing more as a misstep than a surprise,” he mentions.
Sah adds that AI should be seen as a tool to enhance human imagination, not replace it. Original ideas come from the human mind, and the true skill of creative professionals lies in using AI to bring that originality into life.
Sah says, AI is not an inherent necessity for brands; it becomes only if we decide it is. “The choice of how and when to use this technology always lies with us. The more informed a person is about AI, the better equipped they will be to make that choice,” he stated.
Amit Wadhwa, CEO, Dentsu Creative India, says that every brand has hits, average campaigns, and misses. CRED has delivered some outstanding work in the past, which sets a high bar for comparison. He adds that while he doesn’t like the current campaign as much as earlier ones, that’s natural; brands go through ups and downs.
Wadhwa also notes that AI is an unavoidable trend, with more agencies and brands experimenting with it. While it’s important to stay in tune with the times, the underperformance of CRED’s recent campaign cannot be attributed solely to AI. Great campaigns can be made with AI; perhaps the industry is currently overthinking and overdoing it.
“AI and human emotions should coexist. Thinking of AI as being in tune with the times is fantastic; we should embrace it. Some campaigns will succeed, others won’t. Blaming AI isn’t the point; how we execute it is what truly matters,” he says.
Dipankar Mukherjee, Co-Founder and CEO, Studio Blo, a content studio at the forefront of AI-driven filmmaking, thinks differently. He says that what Moonshot did for CRED was brilliant; they used AI subtly, satirizing its use in ads and making fun of it.
Mukherjee adds that many brands and agencies use AI just for the sake of it, but AI isn’t a barrier to creativity. “Just as using a camera doesn’t make an idea good, AI alone doesn’t guarantee quality. Audiences often don’t care that AI was used; they respond to the idea and execution,” he says.
He notes that 2025 has been a 'zero year' for brand marketing with AI, as everyone experiments and figures out its potential.
He further adds that brands are under pressure to economize, and AI is often seen as a way to create content faster and cheaper.
However, Mukherjee predicts that within a few quarters, this perception will shift. AI will be treated on par with traditional shoots, with its main advantage being the scale of production. Currently, many brands engage AI studios simply because it’s cheaper, which isn’t sustainable. Over time, human and creative costs will remain critical, and much content, especially social media and performance creatives, will be produced in-house using AI tools, sometimes without agency involvement.
Soumabha Nandi, EVP, Creative Strategy & Growth, Social Panga, says CRED built its reputation on moments that felt 'mischievously human', whether it was Rahul Dravid losing his cool or Madhuri Dixit and Govinda making quirky comebacks. The brand’s recent AI-heavy campaigns with Gautam Gambhir and Farah Khan, he notes, reflect a natural phase of experimentation. “Every brand eventually tries the shiny new toy,” he adds.
According to Nandi, AI can make ideas faster, sharper, and sometimes even surprising. But like any tool, it only works when guided by a clear creative vision. “The risk with CRED’s recent work was that AI seemed to drive the idea, rather than support it,” he explains.
He believes AI can enhance originality when it amplifies a strong human insight. But if the tool itself becomes the idea, campaigns risk slipping into gimmick territory. “AI campaigns can achieve cultural impact, but only if they stay rooted in sharp human observations with AI as the amplifier, not the star. Otherwise, it’s like asking Farah Khan to choreograph without music: lots of movement, but no groove,” says Nandi.
As AI becomes an ever-present tool in advertising, the challenge for brands like CRED isn’t whether to use it, but how to use it. The real test lies in balancing technology with human imagination, crafting stories that resonate, surprise, and delight audiences. After all, AI can generate visuals, but it’s the human touch, insight, and creativity that make a campaign memorable.
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