For its first-ever brand campaign, OpenAI has chosen restraint over spectacle. Instead of futuristic visuals and abstract imagery often associated with artificial intelligence, the company presents ChatGPT as a companion woven into the fabric of daily life.
The campaign, created by Isle of Any and directed by Miles Jay (SMUGGLER), features a series of 35 mm mini-films. Each begins with a real user prompt typed into ChatGPT, followed by its answer shown as closing credits. Between the two unfolds a scene of everyday life filmed with cinematic intensity: a family dinner, a workout achieved, the preparation of a trip. Small moments are elevated to feel almost epic, reminding viewers that AI can amplify human experiences rather than overshadow them.
OpenAI’s decision to focus on storytelling rather than technology is deliberate. By placing people at the center of the narrative, the company seeks to humanize artificial intelligence and underline its role as a discreet yet decisive ally. It’s a subtle manifesto for a brand aiming to be seen not only as a technological breakthrough but as a trusted partner in modern living.
The campaign rollout is ambitious, spanning the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. It includes NFL Primetime spots, large-format billboards at Piccadilly Lights and Old Street in London, as well as Manchester, Birmingham, and Dublin, alongside social media placements and streaming platforms. The move follows OpenAI’s highly noted debut at the 2025 Super Bowl, where its first ad leaned more on cultural storytelling than on product features.
Underlying the effort is a broader strategy: to reassure and inspire at a time when AI often sparks anxiety around jobs, creativity, and authenticity. Instead of technical jargon, the films highlight simple benefits—helping someone cook better, learn faster, or find fresh inspiration. Recent figures support this positioning: ChatGPT usage in the UK has quadrupled in a year, and a Harris Poll survey shows that 7 out of 10 AI users under 45 feel these tools help them “succeed in life.”
With this campaign, OpenAI takes a bold step in brand-building, translating the often-intimidating notion of AI into relatable, cinematic moments. By turning prompts into life stories, ChatGPT positions itself not as a machine of the future but as a human-scale partner in the present.
