Friday night, I had some time to sit around and play with Google VEO 3. This is Google’s AI that can generate a seemingly real video with nothing more than typed instruction. There are limitations on the platform, but I have a feeling that this will become the greatest technology in the history of creative marketing.
The first limitation is that Google has set VEO to a maximum of 8 seconds per video. Second, the platform takes about 3-5 minutes to generate each video, and finally, VEO maxes you out at around 4 videos per session, before cutting you off like an AI junkie.
These constraints force the user to write succinct prompts in nearly Haiku style. Playing with this a few times has made me realize that prompting AI will become a skill, like playing an instrument. Whoever can inject humor and insight into a well written, succinct prompt, will be the Rick Rubin or Steven Spielberg of AI Marketing.
Here is the first video I made using this tech, it is a fake George Saliba appraising a car:
Here is the prompt I used: Create a video of a bald mid thirties Lebanese car salesman with a black beard wearing a green polo shirt and black pants, make him muscular and about 5'9". Make him on the lot of the dealership with J&S on the sign behind him, appraising a vehicle using the OBD2 sacnner device. have him stand up from the appraisal on the driver side door, turn to to the customer and say, sir I have bad news, your car definitely doesn’t have cats!
Overall, the video is good, but the image is too muscular, I was not allowed to use his actual name or likeness on this app, which makes me wonder if there will be significant money made by licensing influencers’ likenesses to the platform. My life would be a lot easier if I was telling a virtual George Saliba what to say or do instead of negotiating with the real one over scripts, dates, contracts and fulfillment.
My next video I made was an attempt to see if I could create a succinct product placement. This would be a one for one replacement of the work I currently do with influencers. It is a short form video asking a car salesman to interface with a customer. The goal is to create a compelling short form message where other dealership employees may be convinced the product would be a good fit for their store. Disclaimer* This video is not a real endorsement for Accutrade* Here is the video:
This video is excellent. I am continuously impressed by how the avatar’s conversation is on time, the facial expressions are appropriate, and VEO seems to perfectly fit the content idea in the time allotted. The way I got around using a brand name in this video, is by breaking the brand Accutrade into two words “Accu Trade” in the prompt, so that VEO could not recognize it as the brand which would have prohibited the video.
The last video I made before VEO cut me off was to see if I could challenge myself to make a Russ Flips Whips style video. I wanted to come up with something that resonated with my favorite Russ character, the male Karen. Here is the video:
In this example, I think I nailed the prompt. It felt like I was writing a comic for the funny papers 50 years ago because the premise, setup and punchline all needed to fit into 8 seconds. I also did a poor job describing what Russ looks like, but in time, I will hone that description. I want to know if VEO will allow us to create instances, so when I have the perfect description of a fictional character, I can reuse them in my content. I would imagine having an instance of each influencer singed to Freddy Media. Folks like this.
If that is possible, then there will be a world where Russ, Savannah and I spend all day commanding AI brand spokespeople across organic posts and paid advertising. Imagine if the thought leaders of the future do not actually exist, but we are controlling what each one is saying across various industries.
I am looking forward to this future because Freddy Media manages the best talent in the influencer game. We work with these folks to promote products for the best brands in the world. This week we are doing engagements with Cars.com, Adobe, HighLevel, LimitlessAI, Gemini and 10 of the largest car dealership groups in the USA. However, if we can take everything we have learned about the creator game, paid advertising, and user generated content and use VEO 3, then we can become the greatest marketing agency of all time.
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