Businesses in British Columbia return to handwritten advertising in response to AI imagery
Businesses operating in British Columbia are moving away from flawless but soulless AI-generated images, opting for handmade, hand-drawn advertising signs to appeal to consumers seeking authenticity.
In the Canadian province of British Columbia, handwritten and hand-drawn advertising signs are becoming widespread as a reaction against AI-powered marketing content.
Kevin Thach, owner of the Vietnamese cafe NaMì in Vancouver, has drawn attention by using signs hand-drawn with Sharpie markers instead of flawed or artificial images generated by AI, which he describes as 'AI slop.' Thach states that this method highlights the genuine human effort involved in food preparation. A similar approach is being used at a No Frills supermarket in Burnaby to announce weekly discounts.
Jarrett Vaughan, a marketing expert at the University of British Columbia, states that this trend reflects a longing among consumers for imperfection and the human touch in an era where AI makes everything easy. On the other hand, the Association of Registered Graphic Designers is concerned that over-reliance on AI tools devalues professional design skills and human creativity.
Sources
- cbc.ca · Link