"AI Automatically Generates Ads" - 5 Marketing Trends Highlighted by Appier This Year

[Financial News]  Appier, an AI-based advertising and marketing solutions company, announced on the 17th that it participated in the world's largest advertising and marketing festival '2025 Cannes Lions' and unveiled five major trends that will lead future marketing strategies.
The most notable change highlighted by Appier is the full-scale commercialization of generative AI. Global platforms such as Meta, Google, and Adobe have moved beyond experimental features to introduce AI capabilities that can automatically generate image and video content or create ad materials tailored to brand identity. Appier also demonstrated its generative AI-based creative automation platform 'AdCreative.ai' on site. This platform, modularized into Appier's existing advertising and marketing solutions, supports the rapid and flexible automation of the entire marketing process, from idea planning to production, experimentation, and optimization. 
Appier also pointed out that the convergence of content and commerce is increasingly becoming mainstream. Retail media giants like Pinterest and Amazon, as well as publishers like Netflix, Yahoo, and Disney, are rolling out shoppable models that integrate content consumption and product purchase into a single experience. This shift, where the boundaries between media exposure and product exploration are blurring, strongly suggests the necessity of establishing a 'full-funnel strategy' that encompasses both brand influence and concrete results.
The way of collaborating with creators is also rapidly changing. Appier noted that the relationship between creators and brands is evolving from simple sponsorship to 'co-creation'. Budgets are being invested in content co-development that can expand participation and brand storytelling simultaneously, rather than one-off content. In fact, YouTube and Pinterest have released research results showing that creator-centric storytelling significantly increases attention and purchase intent. 
Due to the uncertain future of third-party cookies and the global increase in privacy awareness, brands and platforms are competing to build scalable identity and privacy infrastructures. At this year's Cannes Lions, 'identity' was highlighted as a strategic battleground for competition, not just a regulatory issue. Major platforms like Amazon, Roku, and Netflix are transitioning to login-based ID systems and moving towards relying on first-party data. Many brands are actively testing new ways to measure advertising performance without cookies. This is expected to change the landscape of programmatic ad spending from 2026. Companies that have adopted identity solutions capable of identifying users first are securing a competitive edge by achieving easier ad frequency adjustments, maintaining consistency across channels, and realizing closed-loop measurement. Appier emphasized that to remain stable amidst future changes in the marketing environment, companies should focus on first-party data strategies while choosing solution partners that prioritize privacy.
Appier also highlighted rapid iteration as a keyword in the era of generative AI and automation. One of the clear messages from this year's Cannes Lions is that the concept of 'perfect in one go' has disappeared. Building workflows that enable large-scale testing and optimization has become more important than insisting on a single finished product. In fact, Meta, Adobe, and Appier have introduced AI tools capable of generating dozens of ad creative versions in just a few seconds. This allows for rapid execution, multivariate testing, and quick expansion of high-performing ad materials. Small and medium-sized brands can also use AI to create content cost-effectively and compete on an equal footing with large brands. Appier presented 'rapid testing and optimization, expansion of high-efficiency materials' as major trends, mentioning that it's time for marketers to evolve from simple content creators to experts who can interpret data and connect it to strategy.

mkchang@fnnews.com Min-Kwon Jang, Reporter