From shoots to prompts: Bangladesh’s advertising industry enters the AI era

Illustration: TBS

While recently scrolling through Facebook, an advertisement caught my eye. It was by Walton, a local electronics brand. The ad featured female characters using a washing machine, a pressure cooker, a fridge, etc. But there was something different about the characters.

After close observation, I realised the female characters were AI-generated. In fact, the entire scene had been generated using artificial intelligence. No camera, no set, no crew — just prompts.

Earlier, another ad had caught everyone's attention — the 'Beshi beshi' ad campaign by Banglalink, one of the leading telecom companies of Bangladesh. 

Released in July 2025, the TVC features AI-generated characters, shops, and even fried shingaras. Made by ad agency Dhaka XR, this AI-generated ad shows how much the technology can impact the industry. 

The images and scenes seem so realistic that in some cases, audiences do not even realise that what they are looking at is AI-generated. The shift is subtle, but it is happening fast.

What once required location scouting, production teams, and days worth of editing can now be done within hours. 

Walton's Chief Marketing Officer Zoheb Ahmed says that AI has helped them reduce both time and cost of content production. 

"Traditionally, a TVC would take 6–12 weeks from concept to final delivery, involving multiple stages like scripting, casting, shooting, and post-production. With AI, we are now seeing production timelines reduced to a few days — or even minutes in some cases."  

For Saiful Alam Sojol, designer at Grey Advertising, the shift is not surprising, rather inevitable.

"It's not something we can ignore and move forward without — we have to move forward with it."

Shorter production time

At its core, the appeal is simple — time. 

"If you want to save time, AI is very useful. But the most important thing is knowing how to use it properly. If you can master that, it becomes a powerful tool," says Sojol.

The most visible shift is in execution. 

"With AI, the kind of manual work we used to spend hours on is no longer as important," says Ertija, designer at Dotbirth. "Now I can write a prompt in a few lines and get the image I want. Previously, I had to meticulously construct everything from scratch."

What has changed is not the idea, but the process of reaching it. "The imagination is still mine," she insists. "I am visualising it — I am just using technology to execute it."

A shift in cost and access

The implications are also economic.

"AI is reducing production costs significantly," says Sojol. What once required large budgets can now be done more affordably.

"We are even seeing complete online video commercials being made with AI," he adds. For smaller clients, this opens up possibilities that were previously out of reach.

Zoheb Ahmed said, "A standard TVC that used to cost Tk10 lakh to Tk50 lakh can now be produced for under Tk1 lakh, meaning up to 90-95% cost reduction. In practical campaign scenarios, AI-assisted production has shown 90%+ cost savings, 90–97% time reduction and faster iterations [multiple versions] at almost zero additional cost."

At the same time, traditional structures remain intact. "Large brands still prefer working with major production houses," he says. "They may see some reduction in work, but they are not disappearing."

Ertija sees the shift from the client side. "We are also seeing clients prefer AI-generated visuals instead of traditional photoshoots," she says. "Everyone wants to follow the trend."

As long as the output meets expectations, resistance is minimal. Clients are generally okay with it, as long as the design does not look distorted.

Shaiful Islam, an AI engineer and the CEO of Aiqniq, explained how generative AI has become central. It is now used for character creation, scene transitions, and visual production.

At the heart of this process are two things: generative AI and prompt engineering.

"Prompt engineering is about how well you give instructions," Shaiful explains. "The output depends heavily on that."

The workflow is iterative — generate, refine, and prompt again. Even technical limitations are evolving. "Earlier, maintaining character consistency was a challenge," he says. "Now, AI models can maintain facial structure across scenes and angles for a longer time."

Blurring roles in an evolving industry

As tools evolve, so do roles. 

"Copywriting has also become easier," Ertija notes. "In a way, everyone is becoming a copywriter."

The boundaries between disciplines are beginning to dissolve."An artist can now do copywriting, and a copywriter can move into design," she says. "Whoever has the sense and creativity can do both."

At the same time, productivity is improving as well. While effort per task may be lower, output is higher. "Earlier, I might have done one project a day. Now I can do three," she explains. "The workload hasn't decreased — the quantity has increased. But both the quality and quantity of work have gone up."

But does this affect authenticity? 

Zoheb said that there is always a risk that over-automation may make communication feel too synthetic, less emotional, or disconnected from reality. 

"Especially in markets like Bangladesh, where trust and relatability are critical, this is something we take very seriously," he adds.

According to him, industry feedback has been mixed. 

"In some cases, AI-powered campaigns have performed strongly due to speed and scale. But there have also been instances — like recent high-profile ads — where audiences criticised AI ads for lacking storytelling depth and human touch.

"Our learning is clear: AI works best as an enabler, not a replacement. When combined with human creativity, storytelling, and cultural understanding, it performs well. But fully automated content without human refinement often struggles to connect emotionally," he adds. 

Who gets left behind?

Despite the speed and efficiency, designers remain clear on one point — AI is not replacing them.

"I do not think AI has been harmful," says Ertija, designer at Dotbirth. "Design is not just about drawing or creating elements by hand — it's about thinking. Traditional skill is not the only important thing anymore. Whoever has better ideas, better strategy, and better planning — they will move forward."

In this sense, AI becomes less of a creator and more of an enabler."It's like a partner," Sojol says. "You give it direction — what you want — and it tries to understand and respond."

But even then, the responsibility remains human. To guide it properly, you still need a creative mind.

However, Shaiful Islam believes that as with any technological shift, the impact is uneven. "Individuals with less skill will bear the brunt," Shaiful says.

"Now you can buy subscriptions of different AI platforms for up to $200-300, which give you fantastic support. So if you are basic in any creative field, you will be replaced," he adds.  

According to Zoheb Ahmed, the future will not be driven by AI alone. The real advantage will come from how effectively companies combine technology with human creativity and market understanding. 

"High-impact campaigns will still require strong storytelling, cultural relevance, and emotional connection. So yes, more companies will adopt AI rapidly, especially for digital and performance marketing — but the leaders will be those who use it intelligently, without losing authenticity and brand depth," he adds.