Unpacking Fashion's New AI Marketing Toolkit
Using the platform, Mango's design team is able create brand templates that can be easily toggled between different versions of a photo of a dress, for example. Whereas before, creating different images required taking photos of different outfits in multiple settings.
The womenswear brand is far from the only fashion player to have figured out how to use artificial intelligence to optimise and boost the efficiency of advertising. Companies including sneaker retailer Foot Locker and German e-commerce giant Zalando are using AI for everything from product image backgrounds to quick-turnaround campaigns that align with social media microtrends.
Consumers go through content — and trends — so quickly today that advertisers struggle to keep up with analog creative production alone. AI's rapid generation capabilities help marketers produce more varied ads so viewers are less likely to tire of them as they scroll social media's endless feeds.
But figuring out the right formula to use AI is no small feat. New tools seem to pop up weekly and while some platforms excel at automatically generating images, they may lack the editing tools marketers need to ensure visuals stay on-brand. Brands must consider their unique needs — which can range from visualising creative ideas for a campaign and enhancing their product imagery with dynamic backgrounds to automatically targeting different audiences with different versions of the same ad — in order to determine the ways in which AI could amplify their creative production.
The most accessible AI tools are ChatGPT and Adobe's Firefly, which many agencies already use for easy image generation. Others favour more advanced platforms like Midjourney and Leonardo AI for greater creative control and experimentation. Meanwhile, AI agency Maison Meta and Zalando aggregate multiple AI technologies into their own platforms, curating the best tools for specific tasks like background generation and editing under one interface — Maison Meta also hosts workshops for clients like Mango to teach them how to use its toolkit.
More advanced tools are able to connect the dots between image generation and ad optimisation on social media. Meta, for instance, has its own suite of AI tools called Advantage+, which includes creative enhancements that allow brands to customise their ads by animating imagery, adding music or enhancing copy. Platforms like Smartly and Pixis are also dedicated to optimising the creative content in ads, allowing marketers to create visual templates that can be automatically updated to cater to different customers across platforms like Meta, TikTok, Amazon and more. Footwear retailer JustFab, for example, was able to create a template for its broad product catalog by removing the backgrounds across all images and generating new seasonal scenes across using Smartly.
'It's the consumption happening now through social media that requires a volume that the marketing industry wasn't prepared for,' said PJ Pereira, creative chairman of advertising agency Pereira O'Dell. Lead With Human Creativity
Regardless of the AI tools, human creativity and artistic direction must come first. 'This is not the end of the creative director or the creative teams,' said Jason Widup, senior vice president of marketing at AI advertising company Pixis. 'What we're seeing is the creative teams want to create new, interesting, fun concepts. They want to be pushing the envelope. And AI still doesn't have human taste.'
What this looks like in practice is using traditional brainpower to come up with core campaign concepts, and then using AI to see how far the idea can be pushed — testing out how an image would look on Mars, for instance, or with a giraffe alongside a model, said Pereira. 'You can think and see in real time,' he said.
While in the past, campaign generation could be costly, AI enables marketers to test multiple ideas at one time and see what works best.
'The biggest leap currently as a creative industry is the fact that the risk of trying something is infinitely smaller,' said Pereira. Turn One Asset into Countless Variations
Proponents of the technology still don't trust AI to fully take over ad production, said Pixis's Widup.
Instead, many feed product assets and brand guidelines into tools like Smartly and Pixis, and then use the platforms to iterate on existing ideas and imagery to change backgrounds, colours or placement to create different versions of an ad that can be personalised and targeted across audiences.
For Zalando, using its own AI tools to showcase products in a relevant context — like a hiking boot on a mountain, or even to turn static imagery into video — makes all the difference in driving customer engagement. This, in turn, helps them better understand what their customers want to see, which leads to fewer returns and triple the conversions. 'We do not have endless hands, and we do not have endless time and endless budget,' said Matthias Haase, vice president of content solutions at Zalando. Localise in Real Time
Beyond creative content, AI can be leveraged to reach the right users at the right time. Whereas in the analog days of digital acquisition, consumers were repeatedly served the same ads, brands can now automate when viewers are served a piece of content — whether for a complementary product to one they already own or a specific handbag colour they've been searching for.
Most of Zalando's AI-generated content is market-specific to cater to local moments like Oktoberfest in Germany or regional running events, for example. These quick-turnaround, targeted campaigns typically take four days to produce, compared to six to eight weeks for traditional ad campaigns, and made up 40 percent of Zalando's campaigns in 2025.
Its product description pages will eventually be customised to each geographical market using AI, showing different outfit combinations for French versus Polish shoppers, for example, and swapping out models that are recognised in different regions using digital twins. Build Content that Responds to Context
For platforms that connect AI image generation with targeting such as Smartly, brands can reach customers even more dynamically by making each element of an image changeable depending on the customer who is interfacing with it.
'Every element can effectively change based on the time of day, [and the] specific audience that is being targeted,' said Oliver Marlow-Thomas, chief innovation officer at Smartly.
'We can dynamically map specific audiences to show specific variants … The dress the model is wearing, the shoe that's in the image, the colour of the background, or the colour of the hat, all of that is mapped and changeable.'
Pixis, on its end, draws on data sources from Shopify to Google to macroeconomic data and weather channels to inform its decisions around which ad imagery is shown to who and when, said Widup. The platform has tested these dynamic ads for fashion brands on Meta, tailoring visuals and messaging to current weather patterns to make them feel relevant — showing rain jackets during storms or breezy outfits during heatwaves, for example — and boosting engagement and conversion rates. Optimise Targeting with Platform Data
Brands that advertise on Meta can use its native AI tools to enhance existing content and optimise targeting. After Meta's targeting capabilities were reduced with Apple iOS changes in 2021, the platform began to build out Advantage+ in order to enhance advertising effectiveness on the platform by testing different ad types across users — and the more versions of creative content it has to test on customers, the better.
'Platforms like Meta are now saying, 'We've reduced your targeting capabilities, but just give us a lot of creative ads to use, and we'll refine it,'' said Widup.
Meta's own targeting only goes so far, however, because it solely relies on data from its own ecosystem of platforms and first-party customer data provided by advertisers. Tools like Pixis and Smartly, which are integrated across social, search engines and shopping platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Google and Amazon, can use data from various sources to expand their targeting capabilities.
Regardless of the optimisation tool used, the creative idea at the root of any campaign — and the creativity that underlies the different AI-made iterations — ultimately remains the most important piece of the puzzle.
'The original thought is the thing that will capture the human,' said Smartly's Marlow-Thomas. 'The artificial thought is the thing that will scale it and create lots of different iterations.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Online retailer Zalando raises 2025 guidance after About You acquisition
(Reuters) -German online fashion marketplace Zalando raised its 2025 guidance on Tuesday after adjusting its projections to include newly acquired About You. The Berlin-based company said it expected gross merchandise volumes to grow by 12-15%, up from a previously expected range of 4-9%. Zalando is investing heavily in its European logistics network, which it has also opened up to partners as it seeks to drive growth amid faltering consumer spending and competition from fast-fashion retailers such as Chinese rival Shein. The About You acquisition was completed in early July, valuing Zalando's smaller rival at 1.13 billion euros ($1.31 billion). The company also said it achieved second-quarter gross merchandise volumes of 4.06 billion euros, up from 3.86 billion euros a year earlier. ($1 = 0.8634 euros) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Nio Inc. (NIO) umbles 8% as Slow July Deliveries Growth Disappoint
We recently published . NIO Inc. (NYSE:NIO) is one of the companies that stood stronger last week. Nio Inc. dropped its share prices by 8.18 percent on Monday to close at $4.6 apiece as investors soured on the slower growth in vehicle deliveries last month. In a statement on Friday, NIO Inc. (NYSE:NIO) said it delivered 21,017 vehicles last month, higher by 2.5 percent than the 20,498 in the same period last year, but was notably slower than the double-digit year-on-year growth in the past three months. Year-on-year, June deliveries were higher by 17 percent; May was up by 13 percent; while April increased by 53 percent. Copyright: zenstock / 123RF Stock Photo According to NIO Inc. (NYSE:NIO), July's deliveries consisted of 12,675 vehicles from NIO's premium smart electric vehicle brand NIO; 5,976 vehicles from the family-oriented smart electric vehicle brand ONVO; and 2,366 vehicles from the small smart high-end electric car brand Firefly. To date, the company has already delivered a cumulative total of 806,731 vehicles, of which the NIO brand accounted for 737,923, followed by the ONVO brand with 58,599, and Firefly with 10,209. While we acknowledge the potential of NIO as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the . Sign in to access your portfolio
USA Today
5 minutes ago
- USA Today
Worried about AI at work? Avoid these 5 leadership mistakes with your team
Artificial intelligence may be transforming the workplace, but for many employees, it's fueling uncertainty instead of excitement. According to a 2025 Pew Research Center study, 52% of U.S. workers worry AI could disrupt or replace their jobs. And an August 2024 SHRM survey found that nearly half feel unprepared for automation, while 95% say they don't trust their organization to manage the shift in a way that benefits everyone. How managers address these concerns can make or break team morale and productivity. Experts say clear, honest communication is critical, but the wrong message can backfire, fueling fear instead of trust. Whether you're rolling out new tools or just starting the conversation, it's important to engage your team with transparency, context and empathy. Below, two human resources experts break down five common mistakes to avoid when discussing AI with your team and provide guidance on navigating the discussion more effectively. 1. Acting like it's no big deal According to the World Economic Forum, when managers dismiss or avoid discussing AI concerns, they often create bigger problems down the road. 'Business leaders can't bury their heads in the sand and hope for the best,' says Eric Mochnacz, director of operations at Red Clover HR in New Jersey. 'They must have up-front discussions about the benefits of AI in their business, the drawbacks, the potential impacts and the areas where they'll not allow AI usage.' Chad V. Sorenson, president of Florida-based Adaptive HR Solutions, agrees that direct communication is key. 'Employees may feel AI threatens their jobs and may question leaders' motives for introducing AI tools,' he explains. So, 'address the fear and explore how AI can augment workflows and streamline repetitive tasks rather than replace workers.' Takeaway: Don't downplay concerns about AI. Acknowledge employee fears openly and explain how AI will support, not replace, their work. 2. Throwing around 'AI' without defining it AI isn't just one thing. Mochnacz explains that there's a significant difference between using generative AI to enhance email communications and utilizing AI chatbots to manage all customer interactions. Without these distinctions, employees don't understand what to expect from their workplace changes or how they can remain relevant. 'AI is such a buzzword, and leaders haven't taken the time to define it and understand the differences,' says Mochnacz. 'I've been in meetings where people ask, 'Can you do this with AI?' or 'Everyone's talking about AI, so we have to do something with it.'' He emphasizes the importance of clarifying the fundamentals: Takeaway: Don't use 'AI' as a vague catchall. Clearly define what types of AI you're using, what they do and why they matter to your team. 3. Failing to explain the why 'Any time leaders announce a new program or procedure without employee buy-in, there could be fear, skepticism or anger,' Sorenson cautions. Instead of simply telling employees what's changing, explain why the company needs AI. How does it fit into broader business goals? This context helps employees understand their role in the transition rather than viewing it as a threat. 'Ongoing two-way feedback is critical for continued refinement of how teams use AI to improve workflows, processes and results,' notes Sorenson. Takeaway: Don't skip the context. Explain why AI is being adopted and how it supports your team's goals to build trust and buy-in. 4. Overhyping what AI can do 'Leaders promising that AI will handle everything don't have a clear understanding of its possibilities and limitations,' Sorenson says. For instance, AI can help employees understand benefit plans. But it can't handle nuanced harassment complaints or mental health concerns. 'AI systems must be trained to understand when a human must intervene,' he adds. Mochnacz says the problem gets worse when leaders promise capabilities that may never materialize. 'We have no idea what AI is going to be able to do in a month, three months or a year,' he emphasizes. So, it's better to focus on specific, tested use cases rather than grand predictions about AI replacing everything. Takeaway: Avoid making big promises. Focus on what AI can realistically do today, not speculative future capabilities. 5. Leaving people out of the process 'Whenever there's a business, industry or technology shift, involve those it may impact,' stresses Mochnacz. 'Have up-front, direct conversations with your people about their roles and how they see AI helping them be more effective.' A recent MIT Sloan working paper finds that the most successful generative AI deployments consistently involve frontline workers from the earliest stages through rollout. Drawing on over 50 in-depth interviews, MIT researchers demonstrate that when employees help define the problem, co-design workflows, experiment with tools, and shape fair transition policies, not only does adoption improve, but worker productivity and job quality also rise. The key here is framing AI as a collaboration partner rather than a threat. Mochnacz explains that when leaders present AI as a good reality for everyone, employees will engage with the technology. But when the message becomes "prove AI can't replace you," workers resist because it feels like an ultimatum. Takeaway: Don't make AI decisions in a vacuum. Engage employees early and frame AI as a tool to support their work, rather than compete with it. What successful AI communication looks like Sorenson says poor AI communication shows up in obvious ways. You might notice more pushback in meetings, higher employee turnover or a spike in anxious watercooler conversations. These signals suggest that employees feel excluded or uncertain and may be bracing for the worst. In contrast, when communication is clear and inclusive, team engagement improves. 'If your AI communication strategy is successful, employees should engage in the conversation,' Sorenson notes. 'They'll make suggestions to continue to refine its use, and demonstrate an increased productivity level.' Look for those signs of healthy adoption: employees asking questions, suggesting improvements and using AI to work more efficiently. When teams feel empowered, not threatened, you know you've struck the right balance. What is USA TODAY Top Workplaces 2025? Do you work for a great company? Each year, USA TODAY Top Workplaces, a collaboration between Energage and USA TODAY, ranks organizations across the U.S. that excel at creating a positive work environment for their employees. Employee feedback determines the winners. In 2025, over 1,500 companies earned recognition as top workplaces. Check out our overall U.S. rankings. You can also gain insights into top-ranked employers by checking out the links below.
