Don’t miss this incredible commercial recently released by Travis Scott. “Travis Scott x NIKE” is a brilliant example of how artificial intelligence (AI) can assist the creative process without replacing it. The creative team, led by Gibson Hazard, collaborated with Travis Scott and Nike, using AI tools to generate over 5,000 images through MidJourney. These images were used to create a detailed storyboard, optimizing the workflow and reducing production time and costs.
https://t.co/AJ4e7OqsBS pic.twitter.com/9echCmqgcl
— TRAVIS SCOTT (@trvisXX) December 21, 2024
Using AI in the Creative Process of the Video
The main advantage of AI in this context was its ability to eliminate inefficiencies typical among creative team members, helping to identify the style and look of the scenes. Translating an initial vision into a final product often requires numerous steps and iterations, but AI sped up this phase by providing initial images that captured the essence of the idea to be developed
Creative directed the newest Travis Scott X Nike commercial, directed by @GibsonHazard
During preproduction, I generated over 5000+ images on midjourney to craft the visual identity with Gibson.
Here you can see the process: pic.twitter.com/J2ERm3Jhm6
— JAK BANNON (@jakbannon) December 26, 2024
Thanks to its ability to quickly generate images based on textual descriptions (“prompts”), tools like MidJourney provided a clear visual foundation to guide the team in creating the video. This “reverse diffusion” process allows text to be transformed into images, using models based on massive datasets of pre-existing visual data.
The Human Role in Creation
Despite AI’s effectiveness, the creative process remains firmly in the hands of humans, and the artistic vision of the creator. As emphasized by the creative team, AI does not create entirely new things, but rather reinterprets existing information, mimicking styles and concepts. It is the human team that decides when to stop, how to refine ideas, and how to steer the project toward an artistic and emotional outcome.
The Travis Scott and Nike video demonstrates how artificial intelligence is increasingly present in the creative process of a product like this. AI can be an extraordinary tool for creatives when used as an assistant. By optimizing workflow, AI allows teams to focus on the more strategic and artistic aspects of the process, ensuring a final result that remains unique and distinctive.
This is an example of how the creative industry has evolved: maintaining a balance between technology and human intuition that allows us to push the limits of visual production without compromising artistic authenticity.