Using AI in Food Marketing Photos, Yay or Nay?

AustriaBargain on 03/02/2024 - 09:05
Last edited 03/02/2024 - 15:44 by 1 other user

Been using AI in some marketing posts of food items for restaurants. Not on the food itself, but using generative fill to change the background. Like making a milkshake appear as if it's at the beach or a sandwich look like it's on a plate on a fancy table. I don't do anything to the food itself other than adjust the contrast, highlights, maybe bring some chunks of corn in a stew out of the shadows.

The generative fill is a massive time saver for bashing out images that look good enough for ads and posts on social media. Even quickly going through a hundred generations takes just a few minutes. Would take hours to stage such photos practically otherwise.

But is it lying or deceptive or whatever? Would you feel outraged if you bought a cake based on an image and you found out the cake wasn't really served to an excited clapping pope at the Vatican but was just a photo from the dirty cake shop bench and AI did the rest?

Using AI in Food Marketing Photos, Yay or Nay?

Poll Options

  • 26
    Yay
  • 58
    Nay
Internet

Comments

  • holdenmg on 03/02/2024 - 09:13

    Hi, I got a message from GYG that said they don't fake their photos. https://www.tiktok.com/@guzmanygomezau/video/720975146269029… I quite liked that.
    There was a whole raft of other trivia @ https://www.guzmanygomez.com.au/gyg-did-you-know/

    • AustriaBargain on 03/02/2024 - 09:16

      I do wonder if I should even be adjusting the exposure and saturation of the food itself. But those things vary a lot anyway when the images are taken. I could be sent 10 pictures of the same steak and they all look a bit different. Photos taken under fluorescent bulbs will look different to a photo taken by a window in the dining room. If their hand wobbled when they took the photo their phone will take a shorter exposure. But I do definitely punch them up in terms of those basic values.

      • ginormousgiraffe on 03/02/2024 - 15:33

        Nothing wrong with changing the saturation, exposure, etc. because the camera already changes those for the saved jpgs. No one is just using unedited .raw files for anything anyway.

  • AngoraFish on 03/02/2024 - 09:15
    +3

    Just add a disclaimer that it's a "serving suggestion only" and you're all good.

  • DashCam AKA Rolts on 03/02/2024 - 09:16
    +9

    I consider all advertising lies, so what's new in using AI.

    Look at the fast food/processed food products photos and how they're staged. No ethical difference.

    • AustriaBargain on 03/02/2024 - 09:20
      +2

      My philosophy is the food should look the same as what's served, so people won't feel cheated when they actually see it in person. If they look a bit janky irl then that's what people should see on social media. So I won't ask for photos of a special perfectly made burger, but just a normal one that was actually sent out to a customer. But also I'm not exactly spending a huge amount of time on these so I probably couldn't perfectly doctor them even if I or they wanted me to.

  • loulou1 on 03/02/2024 - 09:20
    +2

    I watched a short doco once on food photography, I just did a search for it and couldn’t find it, but basically the gist of it was that you can’t really edit the actual food bit if it doesn’t reflect what is actually being sold.
    For example, with a burger from a fast food chain, they couldn’t edit it to add a larger volume of salad or a thicker meat patty etc What they do to make the burger look more ‘full’ was to physically move all the meat and salad to the side of the burger being photographed to make it appear more full, but the bit on the other side would be basically empty.

    • AustriaBargain on 03/02/2024 - 09:22
      +4

      Yeah I've seen a tonne of these videos, most of us probably have by now. And I think it pisses people off when they see the perfect burger in the ad because it was glossed with hairspray and stuffed with cotton balls, but in person they get something that looks like it was sat on.

    • DashCam AKA Rolts on 03/02/2024 - 09:26
      +2

      Then there was shaving cream instead of whipped cream, as it holds its shape longer for photos. Mineral oil instead of syrup, because it was thicker stayed in place and had a better sheen.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 03/02/2024 - 09:22

    If no one cares the whopper in the ad don’t look like the whopper in the box I think you’re fine

    • holdenmg on 03/02/2024 - 09:33
      +2

      The box tasted better and had more fibre anyway. lol

    • Ozpit on 04/02/2024 - 11:10
      +1

      Yes, I don’t buy a whopper to look at and say, “this is so beautiful, this has been created by an artisan, this is a work of art and it will be a shame to ruin it by eating it”. No, I buy a whopper to get it inside my guts asap.

  • pegaxs on 03/02/2024 - 09:31

    Are you upset that they use AI and the photos are fake, or are you upset that they use AI and do some poor photoshop guy in India out of an opportunity to manipulate the photo in person? Eityher way, the photos are manipulated, just one is doe by a robot, one is done by a human.

    • AustriaBargain on 03/02/2024 - 09:37

      I'm wondering if I should feel bad for using AI, when I should probably be actually going to these restaurants and taking photos with props and stuff, and then eating the food myself as a reward. Some guy in India won't understand Australian sensibilities or social media trends in any case. Unless he does a lot of work for Australians, then he might.

      • pegaxs on 03/02/2024 - 09:45
        +4

        Damn, I was in the middle of fixing my spelling errors… :D Anyway… how's my AI hamburger? Did I get the job done?

        • AustriaBargain on 03/02/2024 - 09:50

          Looks pretty good, the crabs seem impressed anyway.

        • ihfree on 03/02/2024 - 10:02
          +3

          A bit stingy with the chicken but the bonus under the towel is a nice addition.

  • apsilon on 03/02/2024 - 10:14
    +2

    Food photos, especially take away, has been fake for decades so does the fact it's AI generated really matter? Most of the time the food shown is made of completely inedible things that just look like the perfect representation of what it's supposed to be plus the ensure it's all perfectly positioned and lighted. Who's ever ordered a burger and received one that look like the pic on the menu?

    • plmko on 03/02/2024 - 13:17

      If people knew how they make those food commercials they'd probably puke every time they see a chunky, juicy burger floating on their screen.

      • Grunntt on 04/02/2024 - 08:44

        If people knew how they make those food commercials they'd probably puke every time

        If people knew how they make most processed food products they'd probably do the same.

    • Dslrfirst on 04/02/2024 - 10:21

      like using acid to generate the vapour of hot food.

  • ihfree on 03/02/2024 - 10:20

    I think it's fine especially if it's just cut outs. We're probably at a point where AI is being used in workflows but we're just unaware.

    If you're generating a store background that doesn't match the store, that may be problematic.

    Where you might have issues is AI is often reasonably easy to identify or does something weird. Kind of like the uncanny valley phenomenon, it might throw people off a bit.

    If the client is happy, then it's fine.

    • AustriaBargain on 03/02/2024 - 10:24

      Adobe's AI definitely does some strange things, like spoons that don't curve quite the right way, but you can always edit the generated image further, or keep clicking generate until something comes up that looks right. And it helps to go in and manually blur areas to match, doesn't make sense to have an out of focus object next to one that is in focus. Has to look "right" to the eye, at least at first glance. After enough time you stop caring and just go with something that looks almost right.

  • coxjon on 03/02/2024 - 10:34
    +1

    Just make sure the photo of the pope isn't showing his midriff and you'll be fine.

  • hasher22 on 03/02/2024 - 11:21

    As a graphic designer myself from what you're doing with generative fill, this isn't new to photo editors. Been around when the first person figure out they can cut out a product and replace it with a photo background.

    AI just makes it easier that's all.

    Product, especially food, will always be edited or deceptive in some type of way.

    The average person will not know the food ad isn't taken at a real beach and frankly, do they even care? No reasonable person is going to complain about a milkshake with an AI beach background, especially finding proof of their accusations

    We are consumed with fake food photos everywhere. Do you think fast food photography is real? No, it's not. They use padding to between pancake layers to make it full, they use glue, they use fake shoe polish to make grill marks.

    The only real food photography you see are in Asian joints and they take a photo, upload it and call it a day.

    At the end of the day, any type of photo editing is "deceptive" whether it's food, models, cars etc…..

    I should sue Coca cola cause Im not those happy people in the ads, I should sue McDonald's for not giving me a picture perfect big Mac,

    Just edit the photos the best way you think is not major misleading

  • payless69 on 03/02/2024 - 11:40

    Main reason my missus is refusing Woolies veggies is that crappy light they use to deceive.

    Remember that slogan: Packed in Australia from local and imported products!

  • Benoffie on 03/02/2024 - 13:37

    I think the question is, what's the point?

    Milkshake on a beach - I know that's fake. But what's the point of it? Are you doing it to simply make it look pleasing to the eye? I mean, you can achieve that in a multitude of ways.

    However, brand management is beyond that. Just thinking of a few of my local cafes that I enjoy and who do media well. Their best responses come from their personalised content. Milkshake on a beach won't cut it because they're not at the beach. I have zero context to place that product or experience.

    By all means, use the AI but if the context is wrong, then the result is still bad regardless.

    • AustriaBargain on 03/02/2024 - 13:49

      Well if your menu has 30 products then you run out of content after a while, it's the same burger on the same table. I like restaurants that have Reels of the staff having fun or showing themselves making things. But line cooks aren't the most charismatic people in the world usually. I think people may follow those social accounts because the people are charismatic and cute in the face, rather than genuine interest in how sandwiches are made or whatever.

      • Benoffie on 03/02/2024 - 15:42

        I think it has to be a mix, obviously stock photos have a purpose.

        And yes, kitchen staff in general arent the most socialable 🙄

  • SydStrand on 03/02/2024 - 13:40
    +1

    Using AI in Food Marketing Photos, Yay Yea or Nay?

  • Ghost47 on 03/02/2024 - 18:32

    Can you show us examples? IMO a lot of AI generated stuff I've seen looks really garish and tacky. I've noticed a food store that I look at every now and then has started using AI images on their website and to me it portrays laziness more than anything.

    • djones145 on 03/02/2024 - 20:19

      the photo of an astronaut eating the big mac on mars, well thats …. fake….

    • AustriaBargain on 03/02/2024 - 21:50
      +1

      My social media work is white label. But mostly I try to make it look real. I'll AI up some props and stuff, sometimes silly props like colourful Mexican hats around a table for a Mexican themed restaurant. Kind of unbelievable that I would buy these props, but also kind of plausible that the restaurant might already have them. I'll add coffee cups behind a slice of cake, and add a nicer looking plate under the cake, put a silver spoon next to it. Add a cutting board under a food item and a pile of chillis next to it. A puddle of caramel syrup with chocolate shavings in it. I'll cycle through many AI generations until I find one that looks good and looks real, and then layer more AI garnishes over it. Turns a grungy photo of a donut on a dirty stainless steel bench into something that looks like a carefully staged Krispy Kreme ad. The kind of images we all scroll past dozens of every day on Facebook and Instagram ads.

  • snapper17 on 04/02/2024 - 20:46

    its been happening for years in adversting. The only difference is your using AI. As consumers we should be used to it by now. I personally think this "puffing" or fake advertising should be illegal.

    • AustriaBargain on 04/02/2024 - 20:47

      The puffing or whatever it's called does attract a lot more organic reacs and comments than just a normal photo. People seem to like it.

  • 2esc on 04/02/2024 - 23:09

    Advertising has always been a bit fake photoshop, airbrushing etc so there is no real difference in using AI.

    AI in this application is benign. The worry is other possible applications.

  • miwahni on 04/02/2024 - 23:41

    Personally I've come to expect that images are "improved" for marketing purposes so AI away. I won't be surprised or disappointed if the background has been altered to make a more interesting post.

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