By now, brands and individuals are well aware that they can find freelance creatives to work on their projects through various platforms like Fiverr, Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly known as Twitter). However, the emergence of generative AI has revolutionized the creative landscape. With advanced technology like text-to-image generators such as OpenAI’s DALL-E 3, Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, Ideogram, and text-to-video and image-to-video products like Runway’s Gen2 and Pika Labs, AI has become an essential tool for creative projects.
These new AI tools have been instrumental in driving groundbreaking projects that have garnered significant attention across the web. Yet, brands are now faced with the challenge of finding skilled creatives who possess expertise in GenAI. Seattle-based digital tech startup Forum3 aims to address this issue. Co-founded by Adam Brotman, former Chief Digital Officer at Starbucks, and Andy Sack, a former innovation consultant for Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Forum3 launched its online platform, Hive3, to connect brands with experienced and dynamic AI creatives.
The Hive3 Platform: Gamifying Brand-Creative Connection
Hive3, which was unveiled in preview in the summer of 2023, gamifies the process of connecting brands with AI creatives. The platform offers time-boxed challenges where creatives compete to create the best assets for a specific brand in exchange for cash prizes. These challenges are judged by the Hive3 community and/or a panel of experts. Since its preview launch, Hive3 has hosted ten community-driven challenges for various brands.
Today, Hive3 is officially launching to the public, along with the introduction of “Season One.” This series comprises roughly 30 back-to-back competitions held weekly for different brands. The site explains that to qualify for the playoffs, creatives simply need to place 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in one of these challenges. The winners of each brand challenge will receive a share of a $5,000 prize pool, while playoff winners can win grand prizes ranging from $10,000 to $50,000, as stated on the Hive3 site.
The Potential and Concerns Surrounding GenAI
While GenAI presents tremendous potential as a creative tool, some brands may hold reservations due to unresolved legal issues concerning the data used to train the AI models and the copyright status of GenAI artworks. The U.S. Copyright Office has repeatedly ruled that GenAI artworks cannot be copyrighted. Nevertheless, the creative industry continues to embrace and explore the possibilities offered by GenAI.
The first challenge hosted on Hive3 is dedicated to the popular dessert brand Crumbl Cookies. The challenge begins later this week, on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, with a deadline of Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, and features a total prize pool of $5,000. The assignment for this challenge is open-ended, simply asking creatives to “Create an innovative ad campaign for a fast-growing cookie company.”
Adam Brotman expressed Forum3’s enthusiasm for partnering with brands like Crumbl Cookies in utilizing AI for creative output and brand marketing. He sees AI as a transformative technology that brands must incorporate into their digital transformation strategies. Moreover, Hive3 has brought onboard influential AI artists and designers like Heather Cooper, Tatiana Tsiguleva, Nicolas Neubert, and Ben Myhre to provide tutorials and promote the platform’s potential.
“Platforms like Hive3 give creators the opportunity to use new skills with generative AI technology to produce full projects with different tool stacks that mimic real-world activities with a competitive spirit. I’m excited to join Hive3 as a brand ambassador, and I look forward to helping more creators advance their skills using generative AI.” – Heather Cooper
With Hive3 and the rise of GenAI, the creative industry enters a new era, combining human creativity with the power of artificial intelligence. It opens doors for innovative collaborations, groundbreaking projects, and novel creative outputs. As brands and creatives continue to explore the possibilities offered by GenAI, the future of creativity is set to be transformed.
