The Genius Behind OpenAI’s New Ads and What You Can Learn From Them
It starts with a guy making pasta.
He asks, “Is it good?”
She nods. “Really good.”
Then text appears:
“I need a recipe that says ‘I like you but want to play it cool.’”
Then ChatGPT’s advice and step-by-step recipe scrolls by like the credits at the end of a movie. All set to a sound track that makes you feel like you’re watching The Breakfast Club for the first time.
There’s no narrator.
No demo.
No QR code.
Not even a website.
Just a feeling—nostalgic, charming, and instantly relatable.
This is OpenAI’s new ad campaign for ChatGPT. And it’s nothing like other tech ads.
Shot on 35mm film.
Starring seemingly regular people (though probably ai generated).
The ads are grounded in a truth most tech companies miss:
The best marketing doesn’t show what a product does. It shows who you can be once you use it.
These ads aren’t clever. They’re strategic. There’s a difference.
Most tech ads try to look smart.
OpenAI’s ads are smart.
The difference?
They know exactly who they’re for—and who they’re not.
These aren’t ads for the early adopters. They’re not for devs, researchers, or the people already using GPT to automate workflows or write pitch decks.
They’re for the skeptics. The newbies. The quietly curious people who’ve heard of ChatGPT but can’t think of anything that they would actually use it for.
These people don’t identify with it:
They can’t see how it fits into their own lives.
They think its for other, more techy, people.
And instead of trying to prove them wrong with jargon and flashy tech, OpenAI did something brilliant:
They made the tool feel soft.
Human.
Like a friend in your pocket who knows how to cook, coach, and explain things without making you feel dumb.
It’s not product marketing. It’s identity marketing.
Let’s break down what actually happens in the ads:
In one, a guy struggles his way through two pull-ups.
On-screen text:
“I want to feel stronger. Help me do a pull-up by autumn.”
Cooking Cool | ChatGPT Helps Plan the Perfect 'I Like You' Dish
In another, a girl takes a bite of pasta.
On-screen text:
“I need a recipe that says ‘I like you but want to play it cool.”
Then ChatGPT appears—not as a robot or interface, but as the invisible coach behind the moment. The quiet co-conspirator.
What’s happening here isn’t marketing a feature. It’s modeling a mindset.
You don’t just use ChatGPT—you become someone who’s thoughtful, prepared, maybe even charming.
Someone who shows up with a plan.
Someone who gives a sh*t.
That’s what people are buying.
Not AI. Identity.
There’s no call to action because the goal isn’t clicks. It’s comfort.
It’s worth noting what’s missing from these ads:
No “Sign up today”
No product walk-through
No direct benefit statement
It just ends. Like a movie scene.
Because the goal isn’t performance marketing. It’s not even education.
It’s de-escalation.
It’s OpenAI saying, “This doesn’t have to be a big deal. You can just… use it.”
That tone matters more than most people realize. When you’re dealing with a transformative technology that feels overwhelming or intimidating, normalizing it is far more effective than hyping it.
Sometimes the best CTA is no CTA. If you’re building brand affinity or targeting skeptics, don’t push, leave it as an open invitation.
This is what modern brand trust looks like.
Think about the risk OpenAI took here:
They made ads for an AI product without mentioning AI.
They didn’t over-explain how it works.
They didn’t even bother showing the product UI.
Most CMOs would lose sleep over this.
But OpenAI doesn’t need to prove the product works or shout about how revolutionary their technology is.
That’s not the barrier anymore.
The barrier is: Will normal people see themselves using it?
That’s the job of brand marketing.
And they did it flawlessly.
So what can you steal from this campaign?
Here’s how to translate this into your own work—especially if you’re marketing something technical, unfamiliar, or nuanced:
1. Stop trying to impress. Start trying to relate.
Your customer doesn’t want to be wowed. They want to feel understood. These ads work because they meet people in moments of vulnerability—wanting to impress a date, or get stronger, or figure something out for the first time.
Ask yourself: What’s the smallest, realest moment your product makes easier?
2. Show the transformation, not the transaction.
OpenAI never says “ChatGPT will make you a better cook.”
They show a date night going well. And the reveal is that ChatGPT was behind it.
Ask yourself: What’s the before-and-after moment your customer dreams about? Start there.
3. If the product is good, you don’t have to say much.
These ads trust the viewer. They’re not defensive. Not over-explaining. Not pleading.
Ask yourself: Are you overcompensating for a weak message by talking too much?
4. When you need to build trust, lean into nostalgia.
While everyone else is marketing AI as “the future,” OpenAI went backward.
These ads feel like a 90s home video. Shot on 35mm film. Scored with Simple Minds. Soft, warm lighting. Familiar furniture. Everyday people.
The result? It’s disarming. It’s familiar. It feels human.
Which is exactly what most people need in order to trust a tool as powerful, and sometimes intimidating, as AI.
It’s the opposite of the sleek, sterile, overly-branded tech ads we’re all used to. And that’s what makes it stand out.
Nostalgia lands because it doesn’t have to explain itself. It just feels familiar—and familiarity builds trust faster than facts ever could.
Ask yourself: If your product is high-tech or hard to explain, how can you ground it in something familiar?
Final thought: This isn’t a campaign. It’s a reset.
OpenAI could have dropped a flashy, jargon-filled ad that said “AI is the future.”
Instead, they said:
“Here’s a pasta recipe for when you like someone.”
“Here’s a plan for getting stronger by fall.”
“Here’s how this tool quietly makes you a little more capable.”
It’s not just good marketing.
It’s smart restraint.
And it’s a reminder for the rest of us:
Sometimes the most powerful thing you can say in your marketing is… nothing at all.
