ING: The next Rembrandt
ING wanted to showcase its innovative spirit and technological leadership beyond traditional banking. The client needed a campaign that would resonate with a sophisticated audience interested in art and technology, demonstrating how advanced data and AI could push creative boundaries. The goal was to generate significant buzz, positioning ING as a forward-thinking brand that reimagines possibilities through technology, ultimately enhancing brand perception and engagement.
Creative Idea
ING had AI paint a new Rembrandt, showing how technology can push artistic limits.
ING Bank created a groundbreaking art project using advanced technology and data analysis to generate a new Rembrandt painting that looks exactly like the artist's original style. By using machine learning, facial recognition, and 3D printing, ING demonstrated how technology can push creative boundaries and reimagine artistic possibilities.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
As a leading Dutch bank with a reputation for innovation, ING leveraged its technological resources and national heritage to prove that data is a creative tool. They positioned themselves as a bridge between the precision of finance and the soul of artistry.
Category
The banking category often relies on dry service messaging, while the art world traditionally views historical masterpieces as static and untouchable. Most tech-driven campaigns focused on utility rather than the emotional depth of classical artistry.
Customer
Audiences felt a mix of awe and anxiety toward AI, fearing it would replace human expression or feel cold. They desired proof that technology could honor the past and expand the limits of human imagination.
Culture
The campaign landed during a global shift where big data moved from a backend utility to a front-facing cultural force. This sparked a zeitgeist conversation about the fading boundaries between technology and humanity.
Company
As a leading Dutch bank with a reputation for innovation, ING leveraged its technological resources and national heritage to prove that data is a creative tool. They positioned themselves as a bridge between the precision of finance and the soul of artistry.
Category
The banking category often relies on dry service messaging, while the art world traditionally views historical masterpieces as static and untouchable. Most tech-driven campaigns focused on utility rather than the emotional depth of classical artistry.
Strategy:
Resurrect a national icon through data to prove technology can enhance human creativity rather than just automate it.
Customer
Audiences felt a mix of awe and anxiety toward AI, fearing it would replace human expression or feel cold. They desired proof that technology could honor the past and expand the limits of human imagination.
Culture
The campaign landed during a global shift where big data moved from a backend utility to a front-facing cultural force. This sparked a zeitgeist conversation about the fading boundaries between technology and humanity.
Strategy:
Resurrect a national icon through data to prove technology can enhance human creativity rather than just automate it.
Results
The project involved analyzing over 160,000 fragments from Rembrandt's 346 paintings. 15 GB of digitally rendered graphics data was processed. The launch video helped spark a global social conversation about where data and technology can take us. More than 1,400 articles were written about the project, generating 1.8 billion media impressions. This resulted in 12.5 million Euros in earned media value. Almost 100 million people joined the conversation. Stock market indicators briefly shown at the end indicate Microsoft (MSFT) was up 0.49% and ING was up 1.22%.
1.8 billion
media impressions
12.5 million Euros
earned media value
100 million
people joined conversation
Strategy Technique
Redefine the Competitor Set
ING redefined its competitive landscape by showcasing innovation in art and technology. This positioned them beyond traditional banking, appealing to a sophisticated, broader audience.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Show the Future
ING used advanced AI to create a "new Rembrandt," demonstrating technology's artistic potential. This campaign vividly painted a future where AI reimagines creative boundaries.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign's craft is exceptional for its ambitious and pioneering fusion of art history, artificial intelligence, and physical 3D printing to resurrect a master's style, demonstrating ING's innovative spirit in a culturally resonant domain.
The core of the campaign, leveraging deep learning algorithms and facial recognition to meticulously analyze and recreate the unique artistic style and subject matter preferences of Rembrandt.
The groundbreaking use of advanced 3D printing technology to physically manifest the digital painting, meticulously recreating brushstroke height and texture with multiple layers of paint-based ink.
The elegant and clear visual representation of complex data analysis, such as facial mapping, geometric proportions, and height maps, made the intricate process understandable and engaging for a broad audience.
The campaign expertly blended the aesthetic of classical Dutch master paintings with modern digital interfaces and sleek laboratory environments, creating a cohesive and visually striking narrative that respected both art and technology.
The true magic of this campaign lies in the powerful synergy between cutting-edge AI, detailed art historical research, and innovative 3D printing, demonstrating how seemingly disparate fields can converge to push creative boundaries.
