As artificial intelligence continues to redefine how brands interact with the world, the essence of brand identity is undergoing a radical transformation. While AI opens new frontiers in design, personalization, and efficiency, it also forces a deeper examination of what makes a brand truly resonate with people.
Beyond Logos: What Brand Identity Really Means
Is brand identity just the golden arches of McDonald’s, Nike’s swoosh, or the red script of Coca-Cola? While iconic logos and typography are integral, true brand identity runs much deeper.
A brand’s identity is a holistic, emotional experience—shaped by voice, values, visuals, and the feelings it evokes in consumers. It’s the comfort of familiarity in McDonald’s global presence, or the joyful anticipation Coca-Cola evokes each holiday season.
Consider McDonald’s 2018 “Follow the Arches” campaign, which used cropped portions of its logo to guide customers to nearby restaurants—no words needed. Coca-Cola’s long-running “Holidays Are Coming” ads, launched in 1995, are so embedded in cultural memory that they’ve become synonymous with Christmas for many.
“A brand’s identity is shaped by its values, purpose, and emotional connection with its audience—it’s not just how it looks, but how it makes consumers feel,” says Ritu Nakra, General Manager, Delhi at Landor India.
These intangible elements are backed by immense value. According to Interbrand’s 2025 Best Global Brands ranking, Coca-Cola is the world’s seventh most valuable brand, worth $61.2 billion. McDonald’s follows closely with a $40.5 billion valuation, having grown 7% over the previous year.
Such branding power doesn’t just drive recognition—it builds loyalty, fosters trust, and ensures global consistency. But what happens when AI enters this finely tuned ecosystem?
When AI Joins the Branding Conversation
Generative AI tools—like Midjourney, DALL·E, Sora, and the new image generation capabilities in OpenAI’s GPT-4o—are already reshaping how brands craft and communicate their identities. With just a few prompts, these tools can create logos, social media assets, packaging concepts, and even brand films.
One viral trend saw users mimic the distinct Studio Ghibli aesthetic using GPT-4o’s image generator, to such an extent that OpenAI had to impose rate limits on the feature due to overwhelming demand.
AI is also enhancing consumer experiences. Spotify and Netflix use it to deliver hyper-personalised recommendations. Sephora’s Virtual Artist uses AI and AR to let customers try makeup virtually. Starbucks tailors drink suggestions via its mobile app, based on past orders.
While these uses demonstrate AI’s potential to deepen personalisation and streamline creative execution, they also reveal its limitations—especially when it comes to emotion, cultural context, and human nuance.
When AI Undermines Brand Integrity
In the pursuit of innovation, some brands have misfired.
Coca-Cola’s AI-generated reinterpretation of its “Holidays Are Coming” campaign in Christmas 2024 faced widespread backlash. Consumers and creatives alike criticised the uncanny visuals—distorted faces and awkward compositions—calling them inauthentic and emotionally flat. Critics pointed to the irony of pairing the slogan “Always the real thing” with obviously synthetic imagery.
Toys “R” Us also sparked controversy with an AI-generated commercial using OpenAI’s Sora. While the brand hailed it as a cutting-edge experiment, viewers found the visuals eerie and disjointed.
McDonald’s trial of AI-powered drive-thru ordering ended in embarrassment after viral incidents showed the system accepting nonsensical orders—like ice cream topped with bacon or 200 chicken nuggets. The project was shelved soon after.
Even agencies are under scrutiny. Pentagram’s use of Midjourney to design icons for Performance.gov drew criticism for potentially displacing human artists and raising ethical questions about the use of AI models trained on copyrighted work. Designer Paula Scher defended the decision, citing efficiency, but the backlash highlighted the fine line between innovation and overreach.
These missteps matter. With 71% of consumers expressing distrust toward AI-generated content, brands that over-rely on automation risk eroding hard-won consumer confidence.
The New Face of Distinctiveness
If AI can generate virtually any visual style on demand, how can brands stand out?
“Originality now lies less in how a brand looks and more in how it feels,” says Ritu Nakra. “A strong narrative, emotional resonance, and consistent point of view are the new markers of distinctiveness.”
She warns that without the human layer—strategic thinking, cultural fluency, emotional depth—AI-generated outputs risk becoming interchangeable and generic. “AI should be the starting point, not the end result.”
This shift from visual aesthetics to emotional storytelling may be the most profound change in branding today.
How Agencies Are Evolving
Creative agencies are already adapting their workflows to integrate AI—speeding up early-stage ideation, visual exploration, and prototyping. But the core value of these agencies remains deeply human.
“AI can accelerate execution, but it can’t define purpose, context, or cultural alignment,” says Ashwini Deshpande, Co-founder and Director at Elephant Design. “That strategic layer—defining tone of voice, brand story, and emotional appeal—still requires human insight.”
Shashwat Das, Founder Director at Almond Branding, agrees: “AI can create a logo in seconds, but it can’t build belief. That’s still our job.”
Landor, which rebranded in 2023 with a new ultramarine blue identity inspired by water’s transformative nature, is embedding AI into its services—but strategically. “We use AI to enhance our speed and experimentation,” Nakra says. “But final decisions, storytelling, and brand coherence remain human-led.”
Redefining Creative Roles
AI is not replacing roles—it’s reshaping them.
“No job has become obsolete overnight,” says Nakra, “but many are evolving.” Designers are now curators of AI outputs. Strategists are more critical than ever. Copywriters focus on nuance and tone. New skill sets—like prompt engineering, ethics in AI use, and AI tool fluency—are becoming essential.
Deshpande adds: “AI can generate a hundred logos, but without the right prompts and human curation, it’s just visual noise. The future of creative work is about discernment.”
Looking Ahead: Where AI Fits in Branding’s Future
Looking forward, AI is expected to drive innovation in areas like smart packaging, sustainability, and dynamic visual identity systems. Brands will use AI to optimise materials, personalise messaging, and create interactive experiences that adapt in real time.
But even as technology accelerates, one truth remains: successful branding still depends on the human ability to connect meaningfully.
“A brand’s identity isn’t just a logo,” says Das. “It’s a distilled expression of purpose, personality, and emotion. AI can produce surface-level designs, but soul still comes from human insight.”
Conclusion: AI as Tool, Not Replacement
AI is changing branding—but not replacing its human heart. The brands that will lead in the AI era will be those that embrace technology as a partner, not a proxy.
As Nakra sums it up: “We’re not just selling design. We’re selling strategic storytelling, cultural relevance, and emotional truth—powered, not replaced, by technology.”
