In a Tom’s Guide experiment, a journalist created an entire brand kit—from logo to promotional video—in under an hour using Lovart, an AI-powered design agent. What previously took days of design work across multiple tools was condensed into a single prompt and a few clicks. This wasn’t just about speed—it signified a shift in brand creation where the prompt itself acts as the brushstroke of identity, shaping not only how brands look but how they emerge and evolve.
FROM PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS TO GENERATIVE POSSIBILITIES
For decades, brand visuals were shaped by a limited set of tools. Photography could only capture what was physically staged. Graphic design relied on established rules of composition, typography, and illustration. Stock libraries offered variety but often lacked originality and cultural nuance.
Generative AI breaks down these barriers. The prompt now functions as the casting call, lighting plan, and art direction all in one act of linguistic creativity. Instead of rummaging through stock archives for “diverse team in a modern office,” a brand can accurately describe its vision:
“A team of architects and engineers of various ages and ethnicities, gathered around a holographic model of a sustainable city, illuminated by a golden sunrise through loft windows—conveying innovation and optimism”.
What once demanded an expensive shoot can now be done in minutes. This shift is more than just visual—it is transforming long-standing workflows. Photographers who used to scout locations, cast talent, and set up elaborate lighting for a campaign now face a new reality: their craft is no longer the default way to create marketing visuals.
However, as history shows, adaptation is possible. When film gave way to digital and darkrooms transitioned to Lightroom, photographers adapted by embracing new tools while keeping their core skills intact. Today, their trained eye for light, composition, and storytelling can be repurposed into prompt engineering—creating AI descriptions based on photographic principles and then refining results for realism, coherence, and emotional impact.
In this way, the photographer acts as a strategic visual architect—not merely capturing images but directing a hybrid environment where AI efficiency and human artistry blend to maintain authenticity.
TECHNOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE: THE PROMPT AS INTERFACE
AI image generators—like DALL·E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and Lovart—convert linguistic subtlety into visual detail. Small wording changes (“sunlit” vs “golden hour”) can completely alter mood and texture.
Advanced prompting techniques are emerging, including:
- Negative prompting to exclude unwanted elements (“no text overlay,” “avoid pastel tones”).
- Iterative refinement to evolve images over multiple versions, much like a photographer experimenting with different angles.
- Structured prompting frameworks like ACAI (Karnatak et al., 2025), which break requests into thematic panels—branding, audience, mood—minimise the risk of off-brand results.
These tools make the prompt the most essential creative interface. It is where brand strategy and technical execution come together. In skilled hands, a prompt is more than just a description — it is a set of instructions that balance artistic vision and production efficiency.
Economic Perspective: Efficiency with Caveats
For small and medium-sized businesses across the APAC region, the appeal of generative AI is clear. The cost of engaging an agency or organising a photoshoot can be high—especially in markets with fluctuating currency rates, talent shortages, or regional logistical issues that push expenses up. With AI, a polished campaign can be developed internally in hours instead of weeks, enabling marketing teams to respond more swiftly to market shifts.
A clear example is Needle, a Singapore-based AI-powered marketing platform that recently raised US$1.2 million in pre-seed funding to assist e-commerce brands in optimising campaigns with generative AI. Although not tied to a specific seasonal campaign, Needle’s platform enables businesses to quickly produce tailored marketing visuals and copy variations—allowing them to A/B test messaging, adapt creative for different markets, and scale campaigns at a pace that would be difficult with manual workflows.
This kind of capability replaces what once required entire design teams and lengthy production schedules. A regional retailer, for example, can now produce multiple promotional ad variations for different markets—such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia—within a single day, tailoring cultural references, colours, and copy tone to suit each audience segment.
The risk lies in rushing without proper checks and verification. Accepting the first AI result can lead to generic, low-impact visuals that lack visual appeal. Brandality (2025) recommends a blended approach—utilising AI for quick prototyping and asset creation, then having people refine it to maintain brand uniqueness, creative quality, and cultural nuances. Efficiency should support creativity, not replace it.
CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE: AUTHENTICITY AND CONVERGENCE
One of AI’s key strengths is its ability to quickly adapt visual storytelling to reflect cultural shifts. A brand can produce a Lunar New Year visual for the Singapore market and a Diwali-themed version for India in minutes, each customised to local visual cues and preferences.
However, this agility brings a risk: convergence. If everyone uses the same popular models, prompt styles, and visual tropes, brands risk becoming visually indistinguishable from one another. The Branding Journal (2025) warns that over-optimisation for algorithmic visibility can reduce visual identity to a set of predictable, low-risk choices.
An example of balancing AI efficiency with cultural authenticity comes from Mezzanine Makers, a Hong Kong-based soft drink brand, working with Vpon Big Data Group. The team used Vpon’s “InVnity” AI visualisation system to generate a large number of ad design concepts—up to ten times faster than traditional methods—while ensuring each creative included imagery and references from Hong Kong’s street culture and consumer preferences. By combining AI-generated elements with culturally specific design motifs, Mezzanine Makers avoided the uniform look that often results from purely model-driven content.
This approach shows that AI can act as a catalyst without erasing local identity—so long as brands deliberately include cultural references and authentic visual cues in their prompts and curation processes.
ETHICAL PERSPECTIVE: RESPONSIBILITY IN EVERY PROMPT
Every prompt carries ethical considerations. AI models trained on skewed datasets can unintentionally reinforce stereotypes or underrepresent certain groups. For brands, ethical prompting isn’t just a moral choice but also a way to safeguard their reputation.
Key principles include:
- Specifying diversity in race, gender, age, and ability.
- Avoiding clichés, tokenism, or exoticisation.
- Ensuring outputs are culturally sensitive for each intended audience.
With the EU AI Act and updated APAC advertising standards emerging, the disclosure of AI-generated content may soon become mandatory. Forward-thinking brands are already preparing compliance frameworks, keeping prompt logs, and establishing internal review processes to ensure visual outputs meet both legal and ethical standards.
THE ROLE SHIFT: FROM MAKER TO CURATOR
Generative AI is changing the way creative work is done. The “prompt engineer’ role is emerging, combining strategy, linguistics, and visual sense—turning brand vision into detailed prompts that unlock AI’s creative power.
Designers, art directors, and brand strategists are shifting from hands-on production to a more orchestral role:
- Defining narrative direction.
- Crafting ethically aware, strategically aligned prompts.
- Curating AI outputs for brand fit and storytelling cohesion.
In this context, creativity is no longer about controlling every production detail — it’s about shaping the ecosystem where ideas are generated, refined, and brought to life.
AUTHENTICITY AND ORIGINALITY IN THE AI ERA
When an AI model produces a stunning visual, where does the creativity originate—from the training data, the algorithms, or the human prompt? Understanding this is important because consumers are increasingly seeking transparency. A brand that hides AI involvement risks losing trust.
The strongest creative strategies balance AI efficiency with human authenticity:
- AI for rapid ideation, non-core touchpoints, and concept testing.
- Human creativity for flagship campaigns, emotionally rich visuals, and brand-defining moments.
This hybrid model not only delivers efficiency but also ensures that brand storytelling stays unique and emotionally engaging.
STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS FOR BRAND LEADERS
Brand leaders in the APAC region navigating this shift should:
- Invest in Prompt Literacy
Equip teams with the language skills and visual awareness needed to craft effective prompts—this is today’s equivalent of mastering Photoshop in the early 2000s.
- Embed Ethical Protocols
Develop prompt checklists that account for representation, bias mitigation, and brand safety.
- Build a Prompt Library
Catalogue prompts that have delivered strong results for specific campaign types—product launches, seasonal events, or reactive marketing.
- Leverage Hybrid Workflows
Balance AI-generated ideation with human-led refinement to safeguard distinctiveness.
Use AI for Real-Time Testing
Test multiple visual concepts rapidly before committing to large-scale campaigns.
LOOKING AHEAD: THE EVOLVING BRUSHSTROKE
As AI models progress, prompts may focus more on expressing broad creative goals rather than micromanaging details. A future brand manager might say: ‘Design a visual that inspires sustainable innovation for our electric vehicle campaign, appealing to environmentally conscious urban professionals.’
The AI, utilising brand guidelines, audience data, and cultural context, can generate multiple polished options—each aligned with the brand tone and market expectations—without needing step-by-step instructions.
The rise of generative AI is more than a technological leap — it’s a creative and linguistic revolution. The prompt now defines brand storytelling, offering unmatched speed, accuracy, and reach. But mastery is crucial. Those who see prompting as both art and responsibility will shape the visual language for the next era — painting not just what can be seen, but what is felt.
References (APA Style)
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