From Expert Interviews to Research Focus: The Challenge of Emotional Expression in the Age of AI

In my interviews with fashion practitioners, they highlighted that one of the biggest challenges when using AI generation tools is ensuring visual consistency, particularly in terms of brand tonality, colour accuracy, and emotional expression. The topic of emotional expression especially drew my attention, as I had already noticed instances where consumers found it difficult to emotionally connect with AI-generated imagery. This made me curious to investigate further.

During my research, I came across a striking case: Coca-Cola’s 2024 Christmas advertisement, which faced heavy criticism for its use of AI-generated content (Coca-Cola, 2024). Coca-Cola has long been associated with brand values of joy, happiness, and sharing, often communicated through depictions of family gatherings, friendship, and togetherness. However, when these warm and human moments were rendered using AI-generated characters and smiles, many consumers reported that it felt “inauthentic” and claimed the brand had crossed an emotional boundary.

I then found a relevant report by Studio Founded (2025), Why Emotion, Not Just Aesthetics, Creates a Lasting Brand. The report stresses that even when brand design is visually attractive, it can appear hollow if it lacks emotional connection. As the authors state: “Aesthetics can be copied, but emotion makes a brand irreplaceable.” This insight underscores the fact that emotion is the foundation of long-term consumer–brand relationships.

Therefore, in the context of AI-generated content, if visual communication lacks authentic emotional expression, brands not only risk weakening their bond with audiences but may also trigger consumer backlash due to perceived over-reliance on AI. This has led me to refine my research focus to a more specific question:
How can fashion brands ensure that AI-generated visual content preserves, rather than undermines, consumers’ emotional connection to the brand?

References

• Coca-Cola (2024) Coca-Cola Christmas Commercial 2024 (AI-generated). YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsX1KgSbTN4 (Accessed: 13 August 2025).

• Studio Founded (2025) Why Emotion, Not Just Aesthetics, Creates a Lasting Brand. Available at: https://www.studiofounded.com/brand-materials/emotional-branding-guide (Accessed: 13 August 2025)