As AI tools evolve and gain widespread adoption, Gigasavvy remains committed to using them ethically and strategically. We see AI not as a shortcut, but as a smart extension of our creative toolkit—one that, when used thoughtfully, helps us deliver more robust and efficient outcomes for our clients.

But like all innovation, getting there takes experimentation. A recent example that highlights both the potential and the process is a brand campaign we developed for Coast Southwest.

The Challenge: Visualizing a Complex Industry

Marketing for a chemical ingredient distributor presents a unique creative challenge—how do you visually represent a business that’s largely invisible to the end user?

Traditionally, this category relies on stock photography and lifestyle imagery to suggest the impact of ingredients in everyday products, but it overlooks the crucial, behind-the-scenes role of distributors in the value chain. Coast Southwest’s past brand campaigns followed that norm, and over time, it started to blend into the sea of sameness. 

Photo shoots in this category, while effective, are expensive and often offer limited value beyond the immediate need. So, for an industry built on science and innovation, we knew it was time for a creative evolution—one that mirrored the same spirit of experimentation and progress.

The Approach: Elevating Creativity with AI

For Coast Southwest’s 2025 brand campaign, we set out to do something different. We turned to Midjourney, an AI image-generation tool, to create a custom visual language that felt ownable and bold—something that would break through the expected.

Our process was iterative and time-intensive. We began with highly detailed prompts and reference images. Then we refined, and re-refined—prompting again and again until the composition felt right.

Once we had solid AI-generated foundations, we brought them into our design environment for customization. That included:

  • Recoloring to align with brand palettes
  • Incorporating Coast Southwest’s brand elements
  • Adding custom illustrations and textures to complete the story
  • Completing the story with a bold campaign headline and key copy points

Every detail was scrutinized to ensure the final visuals were not just striking, but strategically aligned with the brand’s identity, and accurately depicted their services.

Importantly, our goal was never to disguise the AI origins of these visuals. Quite the opposite—we leaned into it. Making it obvious was part of the message: this is a brand that embraces innovation at every level.

The Launch: A Bold Statement in a Traditional Industry

We rolled out the new brand ad series in early February 2025. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Coast Southwest was recognized for being one of the first in its industry to leverage AI creatively—not just as a production tool, but as a strategic brand amplifier.

The campaign stood out not only because it looked different—but because it felt different. It communicated Coast Southwest’s forward-thinking mindset in a way no stock image ever could.

“Someone at a trade event once asked me what I believe is the greatest challenge facing our industry,” said Joseph C. Cimo, President of Coast Southwest. “My answer was simple: AI. That’s why I’m excited to see Gigasavvy exploring AI in such a creative way. I’m intrigued by their approach and look forward to seeing how they continue to apply it across different areas of their business.”

What We Learned: Tips for Using AI in Creative Work

This campaign marked our first full end-to-end execution using AI-generated visuals as a core part of the final product. Here are a few of our takeaways for anyone exploring AI in creative development:

  • Know your goal: Beginning with a sound strategy and clear objective is key. Take the time to discuss, review, and align as a team before you dig into the tools.
  • Start with strong references. Gather visual inspiration before you prompt—this will help guide composition and style.
  • Understand limitations of AI: While AI image generation has come a long way, it still struggles with producing photorealistic people and nuanced expressions. Use AI where it shines—conceptual storytelling, scene building, and visual experimentation—and rely on traditional design tools to refine and complete the final product.
  • Prompting takes time. It’s not a one-and-done process—be prepared to refine over hours (sometimes days) to get the desired result.
  • Use hybrid workflows. The best results often come from blending AI output with traditional design tools for finishing and polish.
  • Own your process. Being transparent about your creative approach can strengthen your message—especially when innovation is part of the brand story.

Gigasavvy is an award-winning content creation, brand and creative agency that position clients for long-term success. Connect with us to chat about how we can produce impactful content for your business.