In today’s competitive digital advertising landscape, captivating audiences with unique and eye-catching visuals has become crucial. Whether for social media campaigns, ad banners, or landing pages users are redirected to after clicking on your ad, visual quality is a determining factor.
According to a Meta study, high-quality ad visuals can increase short-term conversions by 1.2 to 7.4 times and reduce cost-per-click by 19%. With its new Generative Fill feature, Photoshop is pushing the boundaries of digital image creation.
Although all outputs generated with the beta version are for personal use only and cannot be used commercially, we tested it internally to better understand how this technology will propel graphic designers and marketing specialists to new heights upon official launch.
What is Generative Fill? 🧐
A new feature called Generative Fill is coming to Adobe Firefly, Adobe’s generative artificial intelligence model. Simply put, this new tool combines the speed of generative AI with the precision and power of Photoshop software to generate and modify images. Have a nearly perfect photo but a background element ruins it? With Generative Fill, you can not only remove that element but also replace it using Adobe’s vast database.
Simon, a motion designer at PLG, shows you how it works.
Adobe’s generative AI opens up new possibilities in the world of digital marketing.
A/B Testing Experimentation: Generative Fill makes modifications not only possible but also quick and easy. Greater leeway for experimentation will allow creators to push the boundaries of their imagination and test different visual options. For example, for an Instagram campaign that needs to be launched ASAP, we would be able to quickly generate 4-5 versions of the visual and set up creative A/B tests right from the start. Depending on what works best, graphic designers can once again enhance these creatives to achieve the best possible results for the same ad concept.
Time Savings: Correcting a flaw or an undesirable element in a photo becomes faster and more intuitive. Reducing the time spent recreating or manually modifying elements is a major improvement and will allow marketing teams to optimize timelines without compromising project quality.
Creative Freedom: Graphic designers are no longer limited by available visual resources or those provided by a client. They can now imagine and execute more creative and innovative campaigns.
The Ethical and Legal Challenges of Generative AI
Ethical use? Adobe has ensured that Generative Fill is trained on diverse data to ensure inclusivity and reduce bias in the generated images. Unlike many AI tools, Firefly was trained exclusively with licensed images and royalty-free content, making it ideal for commercial design projects.
What about the legal framework? We know that under Adobe Content Credentials, images created in Photoshop are encoded with an invisible digital signature indicating whether AI was used. However, the Copyright Office is currently reviewing copyright issues related to works generated using AI tools and the use of protected material.
On the government side, efforts are being made to ensure better control by establishing a legislative and regulatory framework for artificial intelligence. For instance, a first Canadian AI bill proposes the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act to guide the responsible development and use of AI in the country.
What about human creativity? It’s important to remember that, while these tools automate and facilitate some tasks, they don’t replace human creative genius. At PLG, for example, we see these tools as allies that enrich our work. When used strategically, they allow us to improve our productivity and the effectiveness of our ad campaigns.
Towards New Creative Horizons
Photoshop’s Generative Fill is more than just an update. It’s an enhancement with the potential to redefine the creation of more innovative and effective visuals. However, the key to success will lie in how these tools are integrated into creative processes. By combining human and artificial intelligence, we’re moving towards a new era of visual creativity.
1 Facebook Business. (2022). The results are in: High-quality creative increases ad ROI https://www.facebook.com/business/news/insights/high-quality-creative-increases-ad-roi
2 U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress. (2023). Copyright Registration Guidance: Works Containing Material Generated by Artificial Intelligence. Federal Register. https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-05321
3 Innovation, Sciences et Développement économique Canada. (2023). Loi sur l’intelligence artificielle et les données. https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/innover-meilleur-canada/fr/loi-lintelligence-artificielle-donnees
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