An AI ad starts with a real product and a clear reason to care. Define the audience and message, write a short script, prepare references, generate individual assets, and assemble only the takes that pass review. A striking clip is one ingredient in the ad, not the entire deliverable.
Afterform’s project approach keeps the product material and creative versions together. Check which generation and finishing tools are enabled in your account, and plan an external editing step wherever a required capability is unavailable.
1. Establish the product facts
Start with an actual product image and a short approved description. List the features you can substantiate, the offer you intend to advertise, and the claims you must avoid. Do not let a generated script invent an ingredient, discount, customer result, or performance promise.
For this example, imagine a reusable lunch container with a removable divider. The brief is to show how the divider separates lunch components. We will not claim it is leakproof, dishwasher-safe, or clinically beneficial without verified product information.
2. Choose one audience and one message
A useful brief might be: “Show office commuters how the removable divider keeps lunch organized; invite them to explore the container.” This tells you what the demonstration must show.
Choose a visual treatment appropriate to the message. An everyday lunch-packing scene is more relevant than a dramatic mountain landscape. The ad should make the product easier to understand before it tries to impress.
3. Write a short script and shot plan
Here is an illustrative 15-second edit. Individual generation lengths can differ; trim and assemble supported clips in the finishing step.
| Edit time | Visual | Copy or narration |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 seconds | Open container, divider clearly visible | “A place for every part of lunch.” |
| 3–8 seconds | Simple view of separate compartments | “Use the removable divider to organize your meal.” |
| 8–12 seconds | Container beside a work bag | “Pack it. Take it with you.” |
| 12–15 seconds | Accurate product still and clean end card | “Explore the lunch container.” |
This is a storyboard example, not a tested ad or a claim that it will improve conversion. Replace generic copy with approved facts and an actual destination.
4. Prepare the visual references
Collect a front view, an open view, and a close-up of the divider. Keep the product colors and geometry consistent. Add a separate reference for the kitchen setting if the chosen workflow supports it.
Create a project for the campaign and keep source material distinct from creative experiments. Review a still for each important setup before spending on motion. A wrong compartment shape will not become more accurate when animated.
5. Generate restrained scenes
Start with a simple product shot rather than complex hand interaction. For example:
Use the reviewed open-container image as the starting frame. Slow camera move toward the divider. The container remains stationary on a kitchen counter. Preserve the compartment geometry and product color. Soft daylight, no extra parts, no text, one continuous shot.
If a demonstration requires precise physical behavior, use accurate source footage or a controlled product shoot. Generated motion should not imply a feature the actual item does not have.
6. Assemble, add sound and caption
Build the edit from accepted takes. Add narration or music only when the workflow supports it and you have the necessary rights. If using a real person’s likeness or voice, obtain authorization before creating or reusing that reference.
Keep captions short, readable, and clear of important product details. Add exact offer text during finishing rather than relying on text generated inside the footage. Review every caption against the narration and the product facts.
For UGC-style creative, use the informal visual style without inventing a real customer testimonial. A synthetic presenter should not be presented as a customer who actually used the product.
7. Review the exported ad
- Watch with sound off: can you understand the product and message?
- Watch with sound on: do voice, music and visuals agree?
- Check the first seconds: is the product or relevant problem clear?
- Inspect packaging, claims, captions, crop and destination.
- Play the downloaded file on a phone, not just the editor preview.
Save the accepted version with the source assets and brief. Then use the ad-variation guide to change one hypothesis at a time. If the footage itself is failing, return to the single-shot video workflow.