When big brands began using AI to create video ads, consumers were quick to judge. Household names like Coca-Cola and Toys-R-Us found themselves in hot water over some choice advertisements last year. In general, consumers tend to find AI video ads “annoying,” boring” and “confusing,” according to NIQ Research.
A small, LA-based family tamale business seems to have broken through to win over consumers. In a viral AI-generated video ad posted to Instagram, users are praising their pitch, with one even commenting, “God, I love good ads.”
So, what’s the secret? How did The Original Tamale Company turn general distaste for AI video into a wildly successful ad that people praise? Let’s dissect it to learn why it worked and what marketers can learn from it — even if creating a viral meme isn’t your cup of tea.
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The Ad In Question: Break Your Fall With Flavor
If you haven’t seen the viral tamale ad yet, have a look:
Viewers are met with a man leaping from an airplane — no parachute, no safety gear, just a white t-shirt and black shorts. A male voice begins explaining why, when free-falling, landing in water isn’t ideal since your speed would negate its ability to absorb impact, and it’d be just like hitting concrete.
“It’s better to choose another spot, if possible,” says the AI voiceover… “For example, The Original Tamale Company,” *cue upbeat Mariachi and B-roll footage of the tamale-making process*.
The voiceover goes on to detail the business’s operating hours and even throws in a couple more funny quips like “We’re always ready to break your fall with flavor.”
At the time of writing, the original post has garnered nearly 23 million views and over 1.3 million likes. Needless to say, it was a resounding success. Business Insider even interviewed the company’s marketing manager, Christian Ortega, to get his insight on the whole thing.
But why did it work? When other, much larger companies with bottomless pockets are met with scrutiny for using AI, how did The Original Tamale Company manage to strike the right chord with a video they created in just 10 minutes?
Why This AI Ad Won Over Users
Three big themes stand out to me:
1. It Doesn’t Take Itself Too Seriously and Leans Into AI Absurdity
Social media, especially Instagram, fosters a thriving meme culture. Users tend to lean into the absurdity and ridiculousness of imperfect AI-generated videos. The Original Tamale Company knew this and took advantage.
If you browse their business profile, they’re no strangers to posting meme-type content and using popular or trending formats to create videos that gain traction. It’s the same thing here: They leaned into a trend — no matter how absurd — and it paid off.
Takeaway for Marketers: Know Your Audience & Create Natural-Feeling Ads
While it may not be “appropriate” for every B2C or B2B business to capitalize on meme-style trends like this, the key takeaway can be boiled down to knowing your audience. The Original Tamale Company knew the kind of content that resonated with users on their chosen platform and created it. It played to Instagram’s algorithm and wasn’t trying too hard to be a perfect ad.
Being a meme format, it also felt native to internet culture. The video was created in such a way that matched how people already consume and share content. The comedic nature of the video, which invited viewers to laugh with the ad and not at it, likely played a huge role in its success.
Wherever you decide to advertise — or whatever genre you’re going for — create content that resonates with your audience on that specific platform. It often varies from one to the next, so try creating multiple versions of the same ad to use across different channels.
2. It Included Human-Shot Footage In Addition To AI Video
The video used bizarre AI visuals to hook users, and finished with high-quality, human-shot B-roll footage of the tamale-making process. It wasn’t a 100% AI-generated ad, and better yet, it wasn’t an AI ad trying to pass as authentic, which often ends up feeling overproduced and a little uncanny.
Takeaway for Marketers: Hybrid Content Often Works Better Than 100% AI Content
If you’re considering using AI video in your marketing efforts, consider a hybrid approach that combines AI visuals with human-created footage to keep a sense of authenticity. If you’re considering or are currently using AI in any other capacity, like for generating written content, explore ways to work alongside it, using it to augment your processes instead of replacing them entirely. Your target audience may just love you for it.
3. It Had Heart
Being a small, family-owned business, The Original Tamale Company had heart by default. They’re relatable. Larger brands could learn a thing or two about soul from companies like this.
Audiences are savvy and know what AI looks like (although it seems to get more difficult to identify by the day). In a way, The Original Tamale Company poked fun at AI, which invited audiences to lower their defenses and earn goodwill from their target audience. People don’t expect polish in memes; they expect relatability and humor, and that’s what this successful ad gave them.
Takeaway for Marketers: Soul and Relatability Wins
Brand identity matters so much. If you don’t know who you are or why you do what you do, audiences will have a hard time relating to you — and you’ll have an even harder time selling to them.
Nail down your brand identity by highlighting your history, core values, important missions and goals. From there, you can tell more thoughtful brand stories that build a solid foundation for trust and relatability that you can infuse into future ads and other marketing content.
Caught In an Ad Spend Freefall? It Might Be Time To Reevaluate
Does this success story mean every marketer should go out and try something similar? No. It won’t be the right approach for every brand. However, this success story does show that cultural fluency (knowing what’s interesting, funny, shareable or important to your audience) often matters more than production spend. A global brand might pour millions into AI ads (Coca-Cola, Toys-R-Us), but a small shop that nails the tone of whatever they’re going for — in this case, internet humor — can outperform them.
