The ultimate AI Starter Pack, or maybe not quite?

How an AI hype quickly turns into digital noise

Social media trends come and go with the speed of a swipe. What goes viral today feels dated by tomorrow. From filters to formats, from dances to data visualizations: trends are the fuel of the digital age, but they often burn out faster than they can make an impact.

A recent example? The AI Starter Pack. Remember that? People and brands having themselves depicted as cute characters, surrounded by mini-items that summarized their personality or branding. Original, playful, hyper-shareable, and suddenly everywhere.

LinkedIn, Instagram, newsletters: the little characters popped up in every feed.
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For marketers and content creators, it was a gift. Without an expensive shoot or a strategic brainstorm, you could establish a recognizable visual identity that was completely on-brand. For brands, it was also a clever way to ride the AI hype: accessible, visually striking, and perfect algorithm fodder.

But as happens with formats that become too popular too quickly, the shine soon began to fade. The style became predictable, the executions generic. Creativity gave way to repetition. The algorithm won out over substance, and with that, the trend lost its power.

What started as a fresh perspective quickly became cookie-cutter content. And in marketing, predictability is rarely a compliment.

Melting servers

Meanwhile, serious questions began to bubble up. Just like with the viral Miyazaki filter, which gained similar fame by generating images in the signature art style of the Japanese Studio Ghibli, a discussion arose about copyright. And more importantly: about the environmental impact of the popular tool. Because all those generated images? They run on servers that consume tons of energy and water. One AI image is estimated to consume between two and five liters of water. During the peak of the Ghibli hype, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman even spoke of “melting servers.” Funny, but also unsettling.  

What remains is a form of digital fatigue. Not with AI itself, as that technology still offers massive opportunities, but with the superficial, fast-burning formats. The Starter Pack trend is a textbook example: a hype that peaked quickly and disappeared just as fast.  

Yet it is not a lost opportunity, because every hype leaves something behind. In this case: the confirmation that people crave relatability, fun, and content they can see themselves in. The only question is how we can continue to offer that in a more sustainable and original way, without getting bogged down in copy-paste content or disposable trends.  

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Beyond the hype

Enter strategic-creative agencies. Instead of constantly following hypes at the risk of "too little, too late" and especially "too me-too", it is up to agencies to look beyond temporary trends and hype. They must develop distinctive, out-of-the-box brand strategies that actually have a longer shelf life. Content that matches the client's voice, presented consistently and creatively within a cross-media communication plan. That is the whole idea. This is how brands tell their own story on social media and other platforms, staying top of mind with cool, converting campaigns, original topicals, and… virals. Why not, as long as they fit into the bigger picture.

AI? Sure. But AI must be used with a clear purpose: thoughtfully, relevantly, and sustainably. Sam's servers (and our planet's ice caps) will thank you…

In other words: the Starter Pack was fun, but perhaps it is time for the Next Pack: communication that is not only creative but also has substance, with an eye for the long term and a sustainable vision for the future.

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