IBM Watson Advertising has announced Call for Creative, a new initiative that offers brands the tools and advanced technology needed to act with purpose to help solve global challenges. The announcement was made on June 15, during Adweek at Home, a weeklong gathering of marketing and creativity’s most influential voices.

Complimentary trial access to the award-winning Advertising Accelerator with Watson will be given to five brands, on a first-come, first-serve basis, that commit to its use for campaigns that promote corporate and social good. Through the Call for Creative initiative, IBM helps to demonstrate the power AI can have on accelerating positive change when used in an open and purposeful way. IBM Watson Advertising made its Accelerator technology available to the Ad Council, a like-minded nonprofit organization that addresses the nation’s most pressing issues through creative public service advertising campaigns.

“We’ve always known that a powerful story, well told, has the ability to change the world,” said Lisa Sherman, President and CEO, the Ad Council. “When data, insights and AI technology can help ensure that our creative is more resonant and engaging, we’re able to drive greater impact on some of the most critical issues facing our country today.”

IBM Watson Advertising debuted Accelerator earlier this year. The tool harnesses AI to predict the optimal combination of creative elements to help brands deploy more effective digital campaigns based on key signals like consumer reaction, weather and time of day. The continuously learning tool ensures brands communicate with purpose to the audience that matters most. Accelerator proves that AI has a growing and powerful effect on the advertising industry. Brands that leveraged Accelerator experienced a 25% increase in performance throughout a campaign along with a 10% lift in site visits after one week.

The deadline for applying for Call for Creative is July 10, 2020.

Introducing COVID-19 Triggers

In the face of the global coronavirus pandemic, IBM Watson Advertising also introduced COVID-19 Triggers. Triggers are targeting mechanisms that serve relevant ads based on data; in this case, the new triggers leverage AI to aggregate and analyze COVID-19 data gathered by the World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other state and local sources. The data is passed through a proprietary targeting tool to determine the geographic locations that see fluctuations in COVID-19 cases. Available across The Weather Channel suite, Google search, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, brands can leverage the COVID-19 triggers to reach consumers with tone-appropriate and timely messages that align to local pandemic conditions.

As marketers continue to navigate how to reach consumers during times of uncertainty, it’s imperative that they leverage advanced technology to get back to the work that really matters while increasing trust between brands, consumers and publishers. Creating compelling, relevant messages that resonate with audiences on an emotional level, not just from a demographic standpoint, can help cultivate the loyalty that is essential to converting customers into advocates.