How a $2,000 AI-Generated NBA Finals Ad Is Changing the Future of Advertising
During the 2025 NBA Finals, millions of viewers witnessed a first-of-its-kind moment in advertising: a fully AI-generated NBA Finals ad created for just $2,000. In a world where TV commercials can cost hundreds of thousands to produce, this ad shocked marketers and audiences alike — not only because of its content, but because of how fast and cheaply it was made. Using Google’s cutting-edge text-to-video model, Veo 3, the betting platform Kalshi turned a wild script into a televised reality. If you’re wondering how AI video generation tools are reshaping advertising, production costs, and creative boundaries — you’re in the right place.
AI-Generated NBA Finals Ad: What Made It Stand Out
The AI-generated NBA Finals ad wasn’t your typical high-budget sports spot. Instead, it was a chaotic mix of scenes featuring a cowboy-hat-wearing man walking a chihuahua, someone swimming in a pool of eggs, and even an alien chugging beer — all stitched together to highlight betting options on the Kalshi platform. From predictions about the Oklahoma City Thunder or Indiana Pacers winning the championship to the price of eggs or the number of hurricanes expected this season, the ad captured attention with its offbeat visuals and absurd humor.
But the real story lies behind the scenes. The ad was created using Google’s Veo 3, a text-to-video AI model that allows creators to generate realistic video clips based on written prompts. It only took about 300–400 generations to produce 15 usable clips — an astonishing result when you consider that traditional ad production often involves full crews, actors, location shoots, and weeks of post-production.
How the AI Ad Was Made Using Veo 3 and Gemini
According to PJ Accetturo, the “AI Filmmaker” behind the project, Kalshi approached him with a simple goal: to create a TV-ready ad using only AI tools. He began by drafting a rough script, then used Google Gemini to create a shot list and writing prompts suitable for Veo 3’s video generation engine. Accetturo discovered that breaking the prompts into small batches (about five at a time) preserved quality, while anything more caused a noticeable drop.
Once the individual AI clips were ready, the final touches came through video editing software like CapCut or Adobe Premiere Pro. The entire process took just 2–3 days and one person — a staggering 95% cost reduction compared to traditional production methods.
This project not only demonstrated the power of AI video tools but also emphasized how drastically they can accelerate timelines, cut costs, and unlock a new wave of creative freedom — especially for smaller brands and startups that couldn’t afford premium ad spots before.
The Rise of AI-Generated Advertising in 2025
What does this mean for the future of advertising? The success of the AI-generated NBA Finals ad highlights a trend that’s quickly gaining traction: AI-generated content is no longer limited to social media experiments. Major brands and platforms like Amazon, Meta, and Netflix are already integrating AI tools into their ad creation workflows, enabling hyper-personalized campaigns at scale.
We’re entering an era where AI models like Veo 3 don’t just support human creativity — they redefine it. Ads can now be tailored to niche demographics in minutes, localized for different regions without expensive reshoots, and tested in real-time for performance. And with consumer attention spans dropping, AI-generated content’s speed and adaptability give it a huge competitive edge.
However, this also brings challenges. As AI-generated videos become more realistic and harder to distinguish from real footage, ethical questions around transparency, misinformation, and creative ownership will continue to grow. Regulators and industry leaders will need to navigate these waters carefully to ensure that AI serves as a tool — not a loophole.
What This Means for Marketers and Content Creators
For marketers, the Kalshi ad is more than just a quirky moment in ad history. It’s a signpost: if you’re not exploring AI tools now, you’re already behind. AI can help your team move faster, test ideas quicker, and scale creative output like never before. Whether you’re crafting a 15-second spot for Instagram or a TV-ready campaign, tools like Veo 3, Runway, and Pika Labs are lowering the barrier to entry.
But success with AI-generated content still depends on human strategy, storytelling, and ethical oversight. Knowing how to prompt an AI is just one part of the equation — understanding your audience, respecting your brand voice, and ensuring authenticity are what turn slop into substance.
As the 2025 NBA Finals proved, even the weirdest, cheapest AI video can make a huge impact — if it tells a story that people remember. For now, Kalshi’s $2,000 experiment may just be a glimpse into a much larger shift coming to a screen near you.