Culture & Code – "Branding AI"

Podcast with Rei Inamoto & Tara Tan • October 8, 2025

Overview

This episode of Culture & Code unpacks the evolution of branding and storytelling in the artificial intelligence space, focusing on recent high-profile advertising campaigns by OpenAI and Anthropic. Hosts Rei Inamoto and Tara Tan analyze how these campaigns are humanizing AI products, the broader implications for tech brand strategy, and reflect on the current state (and lost art) of personality in tech advertising.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Arrival of Big-Brand Advertising for AI

• OpenAI and Anthropic’s New Campaigns (00:32–02:10)
  • Anthropic’s "anthemic" campaign: Philosophically themed, positioning Claude as a choice for those who "like to think deeper" (01:00).
  • OpenAI’s campaign: Series of vignettes showing everyday uses for ChatGPT—like helping someone impress a date by cooking or figuring out how to do pull-ups (01:32, 03:29).
• Comparison of Approaches
  • Anthropic leans into philosophy and intellectual appeal.
  • OpenAI focuses on practical, relatably human moments.

2. Craft and Authenticity in Advertising

• Advertising Execution (04:58–06:21)
  • The OpenAI ads are "very crafted" with an authentic feel, despite being staged stories.
  • Ads avoid tech features, aiming for emotional resonance and human-first storytelling.
  • Notable Hire: OpenAI’s campaign uses the "stylist from Euphoria," bringing a "relatable, raw, authentic" vibe (06:21).
• Addressing AI’s Image Problem
  • AI faces negative press: environmental concerns, social issues, fears of dystopia.
  • These adverts intentionally humanize AI, "giving it a new, warmer image" (06:32–08:15).
  • Rei: "There was a hint of emotional resonance that these film based storytelling pieces did well, to connect. And it was showing the capability of the product without being like, feature heavy." (05:17)

3. Limits and Skepticism of Brand Storytelling

• Cynicism vs. Effectiveness (09:46–12:07)
  • Rei acknowledges skepticism toward ads as changing perceptions but is impressed with the subtle, emotional storytelling.
  • Tara reflects on whether these efforts are substantial or just “lipstick on a pig”—i.e., is the brand’s behavior in line with its marketing?
  • Tara: “I do think that it is a little buried generally under the news cycle, like these smaller human stories that have added meaning.” (09:24)

4. The Power of Brand in Business and Finance

• Investor’s View: Brand Drives Markets (12:07–14:01)
  • Tara underscores that "hype can be a very catalyzing force"—branding has tangible effects on fundraising and stock markets.
  • Concrete example: OpenAI’s marketing and news cycles directly precipitate massive funding rounds and stock price leaps (13:14–13:44).
  • Tara: “Power of advertising, power of storytelling is so important. And the best founders and CEOs know how to wield it in a very powerful way.” (13:45)

5. Nostalgia for Tech Brands with Personality

• Golden Age of Tech Rivalry (14:20–15:59)
  • Tara reminisces about bold and creative campaigns from Apple, Microsoft, and BlackBerry: "I wish brands had personality again. Everyone’s so scared. ... Those were awesome." (14:20)
  • Memorable moment: The BlackBerry shooting through an Apple, and the clever competitive responses.
• Today’s Boring Billboard Era
  • Tara critiques the lack of imagination in modern tech advertising—"Do you want more GPUs?" campaigns on SF highways (15:59).

6. Humanity in AI Branding

• Both hosts appreciate that OpenAI and Anthropic are "infusing more humanity, more emotiveness" (17:20), which stands out in a market dominated by functional, jargon-heavy ads.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Brand Personality
  • Tara (14:20): "I wish brands had personality again. Everyone's so scared. Everyone's like, oh, this is my turf. But those were awesome."
• On Humanizing Tech
  • Rei (08:15): "What I appreciate about the OpenAI spots was that it wasn't trying to say too much... reflecting an ordinary scene in a simple, direct way..."
• On Tech Hype’s Market Power
  • Tara (13:36): "On the back of that, they raised an $18 billion corporate bond. So there's a lot of capital that moves when brands move market."
• On Filmmaking Choices
  • Rei (18:24): "They shot those films literally on 35 millimeter film. ... They technically could have made the film with their own product, but they went the opposite way."
  • Tara draws an analogy to LASIK surgeons wearing glasses to explain brands not always showcasing their own products (19:15–20:00).

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:32–02:10: Introduction to AI brand campaigns (Anthropic, OpenAI)
• 04:58–06:21: Discussion of sincerity and subtlety in OpenAI's storytelling
• 06:21–08:15: AI's image problems and how advertising attempts to counter them
• 12:07–14:01: The influence of branding on finances and market behavior
• 14:20–15:59: Nostalgia for past tech marketing rivalries, lack of creativity today
• 17:20–18:04: Appreciating the move toward more human, emotive branding in AI
• 18:24–20:40: Discussion of creative decisions in the production of the campaigns (using real people vs. AI-generated media)

Tone and Closing Thoughts

• The conversation is candid, with both hosts balancing optimism for the renewed humanization of tech with cynicism about the limits of advertising.
• Both hope for a revival of playful, competitive, creative branding—a stark contrast to today’s "safe" and "boring" tech ads.
• The episode ends on the rapid normalization of AI and the significance of storytelling: “ChatGPT was launched probably just a little under three years ago, and now we’re kind of getting to the mainstream. So that’s really quick.” (22:14–22:32)

For those who didn't listen, this episode serves as an insightful discussion into how branding shapes the adoption, perception, and economics of AI, with clever commentary on where the future of tech advertising could (and should) go.