AI brand photography: Why Brands like Adidas Show the Right Way to Use It
AI-generated image by Mallen Studio. A runner tying shoelaces on a wet, running track in an urban environment shot at night time.
The way brands create imagery is changing
For years, the answer to brand photography was relatively straightforward: plan the shoot, book the team, spend the budget, produce the assets, move on. That model still has value. But it no longer covers everything brands need.
Marketing teams are being asked to produce more content, more often, across more channels. Paid social needs a constant refresh. Ecommerce needs visual assets that support conversion. Brand teams need imagery that can flex across formats without feeling repetitive. And all of this has to happen quickly.
That pressure is one of the reasons AI brand photography is starting to matter more and more.
It’s not a replacement for good creative work, it’s a response to the reality of modern content demand.
Some brands are already experimenting publicly with AI-generated imagery in their ecommerce and campaign work, which makes one thing clear: this is no longer a distant trend. It is already entering the day-to-day reality of how brands show up online.
For senior marketers, the question is no longer whether AI should enter the mix, it is how to use it properly.
Adidas and the London Marathon: a real‑world example
Adidas provides a great example of how product performance, storytelling, and imaging can work together. The brand has built credibility in running through cutting‑edge shoes and elite athletes who deliver standout performances at major events like the 2026 London Marathon. When Adidas runners break barriers on the road, the brand gains credibility that cannot be faked.
At the same time, Adidas is using AI and digital production tools to scale its visual content. Across its website and campaigns, you’ll find AI‑assisted imagery used to support product stories, hero sections, and lifestyle visuals - not to replace the athletes, the events, or the human moments that define the brand.
In other words: Adidas is using AI brand photography where it helps, and staying true to real people and real stories where it matters.
How AI can help brands without harming trust
The answer, in our opinion, is not to flood the world with generic, generated images and hope for the best. It is to use AI with restraint, taste, and human judgement. Use it where it brings real value at scale, or where it unlocks imagery that would be physically impossible or too cost-prohibitive to create otherwise. And don’t use it to replace a real story like Sebastian Sawe, and Tigst Assefa setting new marathon world records in London.
Why now is the time to start with AI brand photography
If your brand has not yet started exploring AI brand photography, now is the time to begin. Not because AI is trending, but because the brands that understand how to use it will:
Move faster
Test more ideas
Scale their content more effectively
Adidas is using AI to support its digital experience while still leaning on real athletes, real events, and real stories to build credibility. That combination sets a strong precedent for other brands.
How Mallen Studio can help
The goal is not to replace human‑led photography. It is to use AI where it makes sense, and to protect the authenticity that audiences still value most. The best work needs human-direction. It needs a clear brand point of view. It needs someone who knows when something feels right, and when it doesn’t.
We are not an AI image factory. We are a consultative studio that helps brands think through the challenge properly and we won’t say yes if it doesn’t feel right. What do you need? Where will the content live? How much of it do you need? What will feel authentic to your audience? What will actually help the business? Those are some of the questions that matter.
Our work is human-directed from the start. We care about quality control, authenticity, and making sure the final output still feels like the brand it is meant to represent. AI is part of the process, but it is not the whole process. It is a tool we use carefully to help brands move faster and create more, without losing control of the standard.
The value of AI brand photography is not in novelty. It is in helping teams create content systems that can keep up with demand while still feeling like themselves.
For brands that are already under pressure, this should be on the radar now. For brands that think they have more time, it may already be later than it seems.
Mallen Studio exists to help brands make that shift with clarity, care, and confidence.
To find out more, drop us a line:
hello@mallenstudio.com