[Marketing Week] Bob Koigi: How AI is designing the future of fashion

In an age where innovation moves at the speed of a click, few industries have embraced the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) quite like fashion. Once considered a mainstay of creativity rooted in human intuition and craftsmanship, fashion is now undergoing a digital shift, driven not just by aesthetics, but by algorithms.

The industry, traditionally viewed as slow to adapt to tech disruptions, is now among the most explorative, investing heavily in AI to streamline operations, personalize customer experiences, and design with unprecedented precision.

This week,ACE and WE Fashion announced the launch of Lookgen.ai, an AI tool that is set to revolutionize the way fashion brands present and market their collections. The AI tool has been successfully tested and implemented over the past few months on the fashion house’s e-commerce platforms.

Fashiontech startup Markmi, earlier in the year announced it had secured seed funding to accelerate the rollout of its AI-driven markdown assistant. The tool will replace the outdated accounting methods with a smart, fast, and fashion-specific AI assistant. It empowers merchandising teams to make data-driven pricing decisions that increase sell-through and profitability.

According to McKinsey, generative AI could increase the apparel, fashion, and luxury industries’ profit by $275 billion in the following three to five years.

Campaigns of the week

As a long-time sponsor of Liverpool FC, Carlsberg is releasing a limited-edition can – the Miracle Can - to mark the 20th anniversary of the Miracle of 2005, often hailed as the best match of all time. To mark the launch of the Miracle Can, Carlsberg has reunited Liverpool FC legends Jerzy Dudek, Sami Hyypiä and Vladimír Šmicer for a short film.

This year, just in time for Mother’s Day, DoorDash is giving moms the day off and stepping up by becoming “DoorDad” to help give moms what they actually want: a break. Inspired by the insight that moms are often still the default parent of the household for nearly everything, this new DoorDash campaign is designed to celebrate mothers by spotlighting the invisible mental load moms carry - both mentally and physically.

FINOM, the European digital banking solution for small businesses, has launched an unconventional marketing campaign using fax machines to highlight Germany's continued reliance on outdated administrative processes.

Agencies and accounts

Gameway, the world's first premium video game lounge for airports, has named TRG its new brand advertising agency. TRG will be responsible for creative, media, brand strategy, and the revamp of the brand's website.

Grey Malaysia has been appointed brand agency partner for CelcomDigi Berhad, the country’s largest telecommunications company. The win follows a competitive pitch and marks a major milestone as CelcomDigi ramps up its next phase of growth.

Cornett, the independent, female-owned, full-service advertising agency known for helping brands in crowded categories creatively outcompete, has been named the creative and social agency of record for Nissin Foods USA.

Partnerships and acquistions

Premier Outdoor Media, an independent operator of out-of-home advertising ("OOH") assets throughout the Northeast Corridor, has announced that it has divested its OOH assets to Lamar Advertising Company. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

In a strategic move to solidify its position as the leading independent social-first marketing group, SAMY Alliance has announced the acquisition of Intermate, a top-tier German social media and influencer marketing agency.

T-Mobile has announced a landmark strategic partnership with IPG Mediabrands, the media holding company within the Interpublic Group of Companies.This partnership with T-Mobile Advertising Solutions (T-Ads) creates a direct path for IPG Mediabrands agencies and clients to activate campaigns with T-Ad’s first-party data and product suite.

Tripledot Studios, one of the world’s fastest-growing mobile game developers, has announced the acquisition of AppLovin’s mobile games studio portfolio for approximately $800 million.

Startups weekly update

Wonderskin, an innovative beauty brand behind TikTok's viral peel-off Wonder Blading Lip Stain Masque and many other disruptive, tech-infused cosmetic products, has secured $50 million minority investment in its Series A funding round. This investment marks a pivotal step in Wonderskin's next chapter, enabling it to accelerate retail expansion and product innovation.

DoorDash, a global platform for local commerce, announced it has reached an agreement to acquire SevenRooms, a New York City-based software company and a global player in hospitality technology.

Other major news of the week

CRUSH has announced it is expanding its activities with the establishment of CRUSH KIDS, a division that focuses on photography and video productions with children.

Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. has announced that its subsidiaries have entered into a definitive agreement to sell its business in Brazil to Publibanca Brasil S.A., an affiliate of Eletromidia S.A.

Cannes Lions has announced the line-up of global experts from across the creative industries who will shortlist world-class creative work this June. Markets represented on the Shortlisting Jury for the first time are Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland and Mongolia.

Bob Koigi is the editor-in-chief of Marketing Report.One

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