Everyone Hates Friend AI and That Is Actually the Point

Out-of-home advertising can be a mixed bag. Brands can stand out for an exceedingly clever breakthrough billboard or end up alienating potential customers by turning their execution into an inescapable hellscape surrounding harried travelers (yes, I'm thinking of the tortuous PenFed jingle from the main corridor at Dulles airport). The point is, when you do out-of-home advertising to commuters, for better or worse you do have a captive audience.

For AI startup Friend AI, the strategy was to lean into the hate. Founder Avi Schiffmann knows people despise AI and his startup in particular with their "surveillance capitalism" device built to be worn around the neck and listen to your every conversation (with or without the permission of the people you are talking to).

“I know people in New York hate AI, and things like AI companionship and wearables, probably more than anywhere else in the country,” Friend.ai founder Avi Schiffmann said. “So I bought more ads than anyone has ever done with a lot of white space so that they would socially comment on the topic.”

The $1M ad campaign is already getting his brand described as the "most hated company in New York." Of course, the publicity is over the top and it's a predictably effective tactic to get people talking by fueling their outrage. The real question is, will it generate sales and trial from actual customers who want one for themselves? Actually, maybe that's not really the question because in the AI market, this doesn't actually matter.

If a founder can get people talking, inspire some trial and announce their presence to the world, it won't be long before some equity partners or potential acquisition brokers will take notice. I suspect that's really the end game here anyway, and on that metric, it is highly likely to work perfectly.