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Friday got here fast for those who had Monday off. 

How can we cap off this 4-day work week? Let’s make the Main Thing about using AI-generated photos. Does it help get clicks and conversions? Or is it hurting them? 

Appetizer: Gen Z is trolling us with these types of poll answers, right?

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The Main Thing

Do Unrealistic Images Hurt Marketing Messages?

Back in 2022, I noticed a pretty unrealistic ad for a technical college.

It was a billboard on the side of a huge semi-truck trailer. The ad was promoting the school’s blue-collar programs.

• Welder

• Construction Foreman

• Electrician

• Plumber

The ad had simple messaging. It looked clean. Uncluttered. All good. Except…

The photos of the outcome were unrealistic. They were the mandatory smiling, happy people who had graduated from the programs and were earning good money in a career. 

Smiling happy people in ads—never a bad idea. Donald Miller of StoryBrand agrees. Along with a million big-name advertisers. 

However, each of the people in the technical college looked like a model. Not your average Joe or Jane. None of them had a speck of dirt or dust on their clothes, either. 

The environment they were working in was pristine. Pretty unrealistic in the world of welding and construction sites. And most people know this, even if they’ve not worked in the industry yet.

So, I get the part about showing an “aspirational identity” for potential students (smiling happy people). 

But showing stuff that doesn’t match real life could be a turn-off to their target market.

That sign from 2022 got me thinking about all the AI-generated images out there in 2025. 

Are they cool? Lots of them are. Are they a turn-off because most are easy to spot and unrealistic-looking? 

Judge for yourself with the following findings.

6 Facts About AI-Generated Images

Summary is below the list:

1. Customers tended to avoid services advertised with AI-generated images compared to real photos. Especially for high-involvement or indulgent services (Science Direct).  

2. Getty Images reports 90% of global consumers want brands to reveal when images are AI-made, and 98% believe “authentic” visuals are key to trust. Hidden AI use can sideswipe consumer confidence.

3.  A 2022 study found participants could only correctly identify AI-generated faces 48.2% of the time, less than random guessing. This means skepticism is widespread, but actual detection skill is low (Imgix).

4. Some experiments show people rate AI-generated faces as more trustworthy than real ones, even while reporting general distrust (Imgix).

5. Survey respondents consistently preferred AI art when they did not know its origin. Once told an image was AI-created, their preference dropped. A sign that context and disclosure affect reactions (Frontiers).

6. According to polling by CivicScience, as AI adoption rises, consumer negativity about AI images in advertising is increasing. This shows anxiousness about possible manipulation and authenticity.

The facts above reveal many consumers are not put off by AI-images until they realize they are indeed AI-generated. 

This puts marketers in a tough spot. AI can create endless images lickety-split (AKA real fast😁). And some consumers appear to accept and trust the images.

But if you disclose the image was made by a little robot, you risk repelling many consumers. 

A weird dilemma. The only real way to find out what works for your audience is to FAFO. 

Fool around and find out. I hate the advice to “test it.” 

But I see no other way to do it. Plus, what repels shoppers today may not bother them in two years. 

Depends on how long it takes for people to get used to AI-generated images. Also, depends on what the image is (i.e., a human face or whole body or pet or landscape or house, etc.)

Time to roll right into This Week’s Marketing Wrap-Up.

Please share Inbox Hacking with a fellow marketing genius or business owner. I appreciate you reading.

Shane McLendon - Copy Kingpin.

“I don’t know the rules of grammar. If you’re trying to persuade people to do something, or buy something, it seems to me you should use their language.” ~David Ogilvy

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