Lisa Campaign Shows How AI Skepticism Now Shapes Brand Trust
Thailand's Lisa campaign controversy reveals how AI skepticism now forces tourism boards to balance polish with authenticity as 24% of Singaporeans view AI as a threat.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has denied using artificial intelligence in its "Amazing Thailand" campaign featuring BLACKPINK's Lisa, following intense social media scrutiny over the image's polished appearance. The poster, showing Lisa in a wooden boat at Udon Thani's Red Lotus Sea, sparked widespread online debate about digital manipulation and authenticity.
Campaign Draws Mixed Reception Despite Official Clarification
TAT clarified the image was created by professional designers working with Lisa's management team to showcase Thai destinations, not AI-generated content. However, media intelligence firm CARMA reported only 14.6% positive sentiment toward the campaign, with critics pointing to unusually pink skies and an improbable lotus arrangement as evidence of potential AI use.
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TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool acknowledged the controversy but emphasized the campaign's tourism impact, using viral memes to boost visitor interest in the Red Lotus Sea location. The authority promised to incorporate public feedback into future campaigns while defending the aesthetic enhancements as standard practice in tourism marketing.
Growing AI Skepticism Reshapes Regional Marketing
The incident reflects broader trust challenges facing Asian marketers. Forrester found 24% of Singaporean online adults consider AI a serious societal threat, with deepfakes being a primary concern. Trust levels vary significantly across demographics, with only 50% of Australian women trusting AI compared to 70% of men.
Several Southeast Asian markets, including the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia, have restricted AI chatbot Grok over deepfake concerns, signaling heightened regional sensitivity to synthetic content.
"People don't distrust good execution. They distrust confusion and dishonesty," said Hasbidin Hassan, Founder of HYP Global. Industry experts note that audiences now view perfection with suspicion, a reversal from traditional marketing where high production value signaled legitimacy.
Balancing Polish and Authenticity in Tourism Marketing
The controversy highlights competing pressures facing tourism boards. SiteMinder's 2025 report shows 78% of global tourists use AI for travel planning, with 98% of Thai consumers ready for AI adoption. TAT has launched an AI Travel Assistant via OpenAI's platform for personalized itineraries and secured a US$50 million to US$60 million partnership with Gorilla Technology to deploy AI safety systems at tourist sites through 2030.
Yet the Lisa campaign backlash demonstrates how AI integration must be balanced with transparency demands. Ivan Yeow, Managing Partner at Bacon Creatives, observed that brands increasingly favor "common person on the street" content on platforms like TikTok, while production houses shift toward social-first videos over traditional polished commercials.
"When 'too perfect' becomes commonplace, the concern is less about aesthetics and more about how easy perfection has become," Yeow noted.
TAT's experience offers lessons for regional marketing executives navigating celebrity endorsements and hyper-polished visuals in an era where audiences default to skepticism. Industry experts recommend documenting the human effort and talent behind campaigns, providing transparency about creative processes without sacrificing production quality.
The authority continues promoting Thailand's tourism offerings while adapting its approach to address authenticity concerns in future campaigns.
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