In partnership with
Let’s be honest, most AI ads suck.
It’s been an arms race of mediocrity:
Glowing keyboards. Spinning 3D brains. “The future of productivity” read by a synth voice.
Every campaign looks like it was made by the same prompt:
Make it futuristic but corporate. Sprinkle in buzzwords. Add fake hands typing on code.
Anthropic just broke that pattern.
And in doing so, they made the first great AI ad.
Not great because it explained the tech.
Great because it didn't.
From Logo to Brand
Seth Godin once said:
If Nike launched a hotel, you’d know exactly what it feels like. If Hyatt made a shoe, you wouldn’t.
That’s the difference between a brand and a logo.
Anthropic’s new campaign makes it clear. They’re not selling a logo.
They’re selling belief.
The ad could run with no product shots, no logos, no voiceovers. You’d still know who made it.
It’s not about Claude. It’s about you.
That’s the leap most AI brands haven’t made.
They’re still marketing tools. Anthropic is marketing transformation.
The Apple Echo
The internet called it “Applesque.”
Not because it mimics the aesthetic.
Because it channels the principle.
Apple didn’t sell computers. They sold creativity.
Gatorade doesn’t sell sugar water. They sell the athlete.
Anthropic isn’t selling a chatbot. They’re selling human potential.
In a world of tech demos, they built a mirror.
The Gatorade Playbook
If you watch the campaign with a marketer’s eye, the fingerprints of great branding are everywhere:
Athlete Framing: Faces, hands, movement. Not “prompt engineering,” but performance.
No Screens: You don’t see a glowing UI once. The tool is implied, not centered.
Emotion > Exposition: They’re not selling what Claude does. They’re selling how Claude feels. A companion, a co-pilot, a force multiplier.
It's Gatorade for the modern-day knowledge worker.
And it works.
Why It Works
This isn’t just a pretty campaign. It’s a strategic masterclass in 3 moves:
1. Category Inversion
While every other AI company is flexing features, Anthropic whispered something different:
This isn’t about the machine. It’s about you.
2. Narrative Reframe
Most AI ads say “We’re replacing you.”
Anthropic says, “We’re amplifying you.”
That’s a story people want to believe.
3. Cultural Timing
AI fatigue is real.
We don’t need another terminal window. We need something human. Something aspirational.
The Takeaway for CMOs
Anthropic just gave a masterclass.
Not in AI.
In brand.
If you’re a CMO in tech and you’re still leading with features, you’ve already lost.
Market the feeling.
Sell the transformation.
Make the human the hero.
Because in 2025, the only thing more powerful than AI…
…is how it makes us feel.
You’re invited to the world’s largest email marketing conference.
Become an email marketing guru at the GURU conference. It’s two days full of all things email marketing. Learn more about newsletters, deliverability, design trends, AI, and what NOT to do with email.
What you can expect:
Keynote Speakers: Nicole Kidman, Amy Porterfield & more!
The latest digital trends in email marketing & how to increase performance.
Networking opportunities - each day!
Dj’s, dance contests (judged by Lance Bass, yes for real), breaking world records & MORE!
Spots are limited. It’s VIRTUAL. It’s FREE. It’s time to become an email marketing GURU. Join 25,000+ marketers on November 6th & 7th. Don’t miss out!
How 15 Small Brands Achieved Remarkable Marketing Results
Stop believing you need a big budget to make an impact. Our latest collection highlights 15 small brands that transformed limited resources into significant market disruption through innovative thinking.
Case studies revealing ingenious approaches to common marketing challenges
Practical tactics that delivered 900%+ ROI with minimal investment
Strategic frameworks for amplifying your brand without amplifying your budget
These actionable insights can be implemented immediately, regardless of your team or budget size. See how small brands are making big waves in today's market.