On July 1, Dollar Shave Club launched its "250 Years. No BS. Still Free" campaign created entirely in-house using generative AI (Modern Retail). The digital ad series features America's forefathers in hyper-stylized images fighting big razor monopolies, promoting the brand's $2.50 starter kits (Modern Retail). Chief brand and innovation officer Laura Higgins emphasized that the campaign was completed in about three weeks from conception to launch, entirely in-house, using AI tools for execution while maintaining human-driven strategy and creative direction (Modern Retail).
Higgins positioned AI as a tool to bypass legacy agency models and accelerate execution, not as a full strategy (Modern Retail). The team has been testing AI-generated ads over the last six months, with previous successes including an animatronic Pinocchio ad for the electric razor launch and a women's line spot that both performed well by leaning into the brand's humorous voice (Modern Retail). For commerce teams, the implication is clear: AI accelerates content production economics, but only when aligned with authentic brand voice and deep customer understanding.
Klaviyo's chief marketing officer Jamie Domenici framed this as a signal of AI's impact on content creation economics, but cautioned that success hinges on brands knowing their customers well enough to ensure relevance and personalization (Modern Retail). As regulatory clarity increases—New York State recently passed a law requiring disclosure of AI-generated ads—brands will face clearer guidelines on transparency (Modern Retail).