The AI Ad Backlash and Brand Trust
In a recent episode of the This Old Marketing Podcast, Robert Rose discussed Meltwater data showing that sentiment around AI-related Super Bowl ads was sharply negative. According to Marketing Brew, nearly 50 percent of mentions about AI ads were negative and more critical than overall ad sentiment during the game.
Fifteen of the 66 Super Bowl commercials were either for AI companies or created with AI. The issue was not just volume. Even ads that only looked AI generated received negative reactions. An Instacart ad featuring Ben Stiller was reportedly penalized in sentiment because it felt AI-generated.
We are entering a phase where looking like AI can reduce trust, regardless of whether AI was actually used.
The Trust Shift
AI is getting very good at sounding right. But audiences are becoming more sensitive to content that feels synthetic. If something sounds overly polished or generic, it risks being downgraded.
This creates a category-level problem. When trust declines across an industry, individual brands suffer.
As skepticism increases, clearly human signals gain value. Visible authorship, real expertise, and grounded delivery build credibility. Audiences want to know who is speaking and why.
There is still no issue with using AI-generated content when it is genuinely good and valuable. However, brands need a variety of content types, including human-led perspectives, expert commentary, structured educational content, and AI-assisted production where appropriate. AI-generated content can work effectively for brand awareness and optimized copy, but long-term trust requires visible human authority and depth.
For example, a brand can use AI assistance to produce structured content optimized for search engine optimization (SEO) and generative engine optimization (GEO), while also developing in-depth educational and expert-led content to build long-term trust and authority.
The GEO Implication
This also affects how brands appear in AI-generated responses.
AI models learn from patterns in human language. If a brand is consistently associated with trust, expertise, and transparency, those patterns influence how it is represented.
Trust signals plus structural visibility plus narrative dominance equals AI recommendation power.
Sentiment is not the only factor in generative engine optimization, but it reflects how the market perceives your brand. In an AI-mediated discovery environment, perception shapes representation.
The takeaway is clear.
Human credibility is becoming a competitive advantage.
This old marketing podcast:
https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/nfl-marketing-wins-big-with-bad-bunny/
